Developmental cardiovascular physiology of the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).

PubMed

Crossley, Dane Alan; Crossley, Janna Lee; Smith, Camilla; Harfush, Martha; Sánchez-Sánchez, Hermilo; Garduño-Paz, Mónica Vanessa; Méndez-Sánchez, José Fernando

2017-09-01

Our understanding of reptilian cardiovascular development and regulation has increased substantially for two species the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) during the past two decades. However, what we know about cardiovascular maturation in many other species remains poorly understood or unknown. Embryonic sea turtles have been studied to understand the maturation of metabolic function, but these studies have not addressed the cardiovascular system. Although prior studies have been pivotal in characterizing development, and factors that influence it, the development of cardiovascular function, which supplies metabolic function, is unknown in sea turtles. During our investigation we focused on quantifying how cardiovascular morphological and functional parameters change, to provide basic knowledge of development in the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Embryonic mass, as well as mass of the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, and brain increased during turtle embryo development. Although heart rate was constant during this developmental period, arterial pressure approximately doubled. Further, while embryonic olive ridley sea turtles lacked cholinergic tone on heart rate, there was a pronounced beta adrenergic tone on heart rate that decreased in strength at 90% of incubation. This beta adrenergic tone may be partially originating from the sympathetic nervous system at 90% of incubation, with the majority originating from circulating catecholamines. Data indicates that olive ridley sea turtles share traits of embryonic functional cardiovascular maturation with the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) but not the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genomic and non-genomic effects of androgens in the cardiovascular system: clinical implications.

PubMed

Lucas-Herald, Angela K; Alves-Lopes, Rheure; Montezano, Augusto C; Ahmed, S Faisal; Touyz, Rhian M

2017-07-01

The principle steroidal androgens are testosterone and its metabolite 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is converted from testosterone by the enzyme 5α-reductase. Through the classic pathway with androgens crossing the plasma membrane and binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or via mechanisms independent of the ligand-dependent transactivation function of nuclear receptors, testosterone induces genomic and non-genomic effects respectively. AR is widely distributed in several tissues, including vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Androgens are essential for many developmental and physiological processes, especially in male reproductive tissues. It is now clear that androgens have multiple actions besides sex differentiation and sexual maturation and that many physiological systems are influenced by androgens, including regulation of cardiovascular function [nitric oxide (NO) release, Ca 2+ mobilization, vascular apoptosis, hypertrophy, calcification, senescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation]. This review focuses on evidence indicating that interplay between genomic and non-genomic actions of testosterone may influence cardiovascular function. © 2017 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Homeostatic effect of laughter on diabetic cardiovascular complications: The myth turned to fact.

PubMed

Noureldein, Mohamed H; Eid, Assaad A

2018-01-01

Laughter has been used for centuries to alleviate pain in morbid conditions. It was not until 1976 that scientists thought about laughter as a form of therapy that can modulate hormonal and immunological parameters that affect the outcome of many serious diseases. Moreover, laughter therapy was shown to be beneficial in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by delaying the onset of many diabetic complications. Laughter is also described to influence the cardiovascular and endothelial functions and thus may protect against diabetic cardiovascular complications. In this review, we outline the different biochemical, physiological and immunological mechanisms by which laughter may influence the overall state of wellbeing and enhance disease prognosis. We also focus on the biological link between laughter therapy and diabetic cardiovascular complications as well as the underlying mechanisms involved in T2DM. Reviewing all the essential databases for "laughter" and "type 2 diabetes mellitus". Although laughter therapy is still poorly investigated, recent studies show that laughter may retard the onset of diabetic complications, enhance cardiovascular functions and rectify homeostatic abnormalities associated with T2DM. Laughter therapy is effective in delaying diabetic complications and should be used as an adjuvant therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The influence of carbon dioxide baths differing in the total mineralization levels on the functional state of the cardiovascular system of the patients presenting with hypertensive disease associated with coronary heart disease].

PubMed

L'vova, N V; Tupitsyna, Iu Iu; Badalov, N G; Krasnikov, V E; Lebedeva, O D

2013-01-01

The results of the study on the influence of carbon dioxide baths differing in the total mineralization levels on the clinical course of hypertensive disease associated with coronary heart disease and on various functional systems of the body. The data obtained provide an insight into the role of salt concentrations (10 and 20 g/l) in carbon dioxide bath water (1.2 g/l) applied for the traditional treatment of the patients with hypertensive disease associated with concomitant coronary heart disease and musculoskeletal pathology. Highly mineralized bath water has a greater influence on the functional state of the cardiovascular system by causing a more pronounced decrease in peripheral vascular resistance and hypotensive effect. Baths with a salt concentration of 20 g/l markedly reduced pain and had anti-inflammatory effect in the patients with pathology of support and locomotor organs.

Protein O-GlcNAcylation and Cardiovascular (Patho)physiology*

PubMed Central

Marsh, Susan A.; Collins, Helen E.; Chatham, John C.

2014-01-01

Our understanding of the role of protein O-GlcNAcylation in the regulation of the cardiovascular system has increased rapidly in recent years. Studies have linked increased O-GlcNAc levels to glucose toxicity and diabetic complications; conversely, acute activation of O-GlcNAcylation has been shown to be cardioprotective. However, it is also increasingly evident that O-GlcNAc turnover plays a central role in the delicate regulation of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the goals of this minireview are to summarize our current understanding of how changes in O-GlcNAcylation influence cardiovascular pathophysiology and to highlight the evidence that O-GlcNAc cycling is critical for normal function of the cardiovascular system. PMID:25336635

Influence of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype, exercise and other risk factors on endothelial function in healthy individuals.

PubMed

Pullin, Catherine H; Wilson, John F; Ashfield-Watt, Pauline A L; Clark, Zoë E; Whiting, Jenny M; Lewis, Malcolm J; McDowell, Ian F W

2002-01-01

Cardiovascular disease has a multifactorial aetiology that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the pathogenesis of vascular disease that occurs before structural vascular changes or clinical symptoms are evident. Conventional risk factors, for example hypertension and diabetes mellitus, are associated with endothelial dysfunction, but the influence of other putative risk factors is not clear. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype, a common polymorphism that induces hyperhomocysteinaemia, has been proposed as being a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A total of 126 healthy adults recruited by MTHFR C677T genotype (42 of each genotype, i.e. CC, CT and TT) underwent assessment of endothelial function. Brachial artery endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured using high-resolution ultrasonic vessel "wall-tracking". Using multiple regression analysis, MTHFR genotype and 21 other subject and subject-lifestyle variables were investigated as potential predictors of endothelial function. FMD was influenced positively by frequency of aerobic exercise and by hormone replacement therapy, and negatively by increases in systolic blood pressure. MTHFR C677T genotype and the associated variation in plasma homocysteine levels did not influence FMD. Additionally, other factors, including plasma cholesterol and self-supplementation with either antioxidant vitamins or cod liver oil, showed no significant relationship with FMD, although these findings are compromised by the narrow range studied for cholesterol and the small number of subjects taking supplements. These observations have implications for risk factor management in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals.

Pharmacological Management of Cardiorenal Syndromes

PubMed Central

House, Andrew A.; Haapio, Mikko; Lassus, Johan; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Ronco, Claudio

2011-01-01

Cardiorenal syndromes are disorders of the heart and kidneys whereby acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other. The pharmacological management of Cardiorenal syndromes may be complicated by unanticipated or unintended effects of agents targeting one organ on the other. Hence, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders is paramount. The treatment of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors may affect renal function and modify the progression of renal injury. Likewise, management of renal disease and associated complications can influence heart function or influence cardiovascular risk. In this paper, an overview of pharmacological management of acute and chronic Cardiorenal Syndromes is presented, and the need for high-quality future studies in this field is highlighted. PMID:21660311

[The influence of classical back and neck massage on the functional state of the cardiovascular system and the frequency-time characteristics of its variability in the adolescents].

PubMed

Sibir'ianov, A R; Sergeeva, N V; Podzolko, T Iu

2013-01-01

The present study was designed to study the influence of classical back and neck massage on the functional state of the cardiovascular system and its regulation under conditions of short-term physical loading in the healthy adolescents. It was shown that a course of classical massage promoted the reduction of arterial pressure in all children and the heart rate frequency in the boys. This effect was apparent as a reaction of blood circulation to the dosed physical exercises manifested as a rise in the heart rate frequency and stroke volume. The effects of classical massage were shown to be mediated through the alteration of the levels and mechanisms of regulation of the blood circulatory system and the enhancement of humoral and metabolic segmental sympathetic influences associated with the adaptation to the impact of massage therapy.

Disruption of the circadian clock within the cardiomyocyte influences mycardial contractile function, metabolism, and gene expression

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Virtually every mammalian cell, including cardiomyocytes, possesses an intrinsic circadian clock. The role of this transcriptionally based molecular mechanism in cardiovascular biology is poorly understood. We hypothesized that the circadian clock within the cardiomyocyte influences diurnal variatio...

SR-BI as target in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease - A comprehensive appraisal of the cellular functions of SR-BI in physiology and disease.

PubMed

Hoekstra, Menno

2017-03-01

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is considered an anti-atherogenic lipoprotein species due to its role in reverse cholesterol transport. HDL delivers cholesterol esters to the liver through selective uptake by scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI). In line with the protective role for HDL in the context of cardiovascular disease, studies in mice and recently also in humans have shown that a disruption of normal SR-BI function predisposes subjects to the development of atherosclerotic lesions and cardiovascular disease. Although SR-BI function has been studied primarily in the liver, it should be acknowledged that the SR-BI protein is expressed in multiple tissues and cell types across the body, albeit at varying levels between the different tissues. Given that SR-BI is widely expressed throughout the body, multiple cell types and tissues can theoretically contribute to the atheroprotective effect of SR-BI. In this review the different functions of SR-BI in normal physiology are highlighted and the (potential) consequences of cell type-specific disruption of SR-BI function for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease susceptibility discussed. It appears that hepatocyte and platelet SR-BI inhibit respectively the development of atherosclerotic lesions and thrombosis, suggesting that SR-BI located on these cell compartments should be regarded as being a protective factor in the context of cardiovascular disease. The relative contribution of SR-BI present on endothelial cells, steroidogenic cells, adipocytes and macrophages to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease remains less clear, although proper SR-BI function in these cells does appear to influence multiple processes that impact on cardiovascular disease susceptibility. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioreactors as engineering support to treat cardiac muscle and vascular disease.

PubMed

Massai, Diana; Cerino, Giulia; Gallo, Diego; Pennella, Francesco; Deriu, Marco A; Rodriguez, Andres; Montevecchi, Franco M; Bignardi, Cristina; Audenino, Alberto; Morbiducci, Umberto

2013-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western World. The inability of fully differentiated, load-bearing cardiovascular tissues to in vivo regenerate and the limitations of the current treatment therapies greatly motivate the efforts of cardiovascular tissue engineering to become an effective clinical strategy for injured heart and vessels. For the effective production of organized and functional cardiovascular engineered constructs in vitro, a suitable dynamic environment is essential, and can be achieved and maintained within bioreactors. Bioreactors are technological devices that, while monitoring and controlling the culture environment and stimulating the construct, attempt to mimic the physiological milieu. In this study, a review of the current state of the art of bioreactor solutions for cardiovascular tissue engineering is presented, with emphasis on bioreactors and biophysical stimuli adopted for investigating the mechanisms influencing cardiovascular tissue development, and for eventually generating suitable cardiovascular tissue replacements.

The Impact of Environmental Factors in Influencing Epigenetics Related to Oxidative States in the Cardiovascular System.

PubMed

Angelini, Francesco; Pagano, Francesca; Bordin, Antonella; Milan, Marika; Chimenti, Isotta; Peruzzi, Mariangela; Valenti, Valentina; Marullo, Antonino; Schirone, Leonardo; Palmerio, Silvia; Sciarretta, Sebastiano; Murdoch, Colin E; Frati, Giacomo; De Falco, Elena

2017-01-01

Oxidative states exert a significant influence on a wide range of biological and molecular processes and functions. When their balance is shifted towards enhanced amounts of free radicals, pathological phenomena can occur, as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tissue microenvironment or in the systemic circulation can be detrimental. Epidemic chronic diseases of western societies, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes correlate with the imbalance of redox homeostasis. Current advances in our understanding of epigenetics have revealed a parallel scenario showing the influence of oxidative stress as a major regulator of epigenetic gene regulation via modification of DNA methylation, histones, and microRNAs. This has provided both the biological link and a potential molecular explanation between oxidative stress and cardiovascular/metabolic phenomena. Accordingly, in this review, we will provide current insights on the physiological and pathological impact of changes in oxidative states on cardiovascular disorders, by specifically focusing on the influence of epigenetic regulation. A special emphasis will highlight the effect on epigenetic regulation of human's current life habits, external and environmental factors, including food intake, tobacco, air pollution, and antioxidant-based approaches. Additionally, the strategy to quantify oxidative states in humans in order to determine which biological marker could best match a subject's profile will be discussed.

The Impact of Environmental Factors in Influencing Epigenetics Related to Oxidative States in the Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Angelini, Francesco; Pagano, Francesca; Bordin, Antonella; Milan, Marika; Valenti, Valentina; Marullo, Antonino; Schirone, Leonardo; Palmerio, Silvia; Sciarretta, Sebastiano; Frati, Giacomo

2017-01-01

Oxidative states exert a significant influence on a wide range of biological and molecular processes and functions. When their balance is shifted towards enhanced amounts of free radicals, pathological phenomena can occur, as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tissue microenvironment or in the systemic circulation can be detrimental. Epidemic chronic diseases of western societies, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes correlate with the imbalance of redox homeostasis. Current advances in our understanding of epigenetics have revealed a parallel scenario showing the influence of oxidative stress as a major regulator of epigenetic gene regulation via modification of DNA methylation, histones, and microRNAs. This has provided both the biological link and a potential molecular explanation between oxidative stress and cardiovascular/metabolic phenomena. Accordingly, in this review, we will provide current insights on the physiological and pathological impact of changes in oxidative states on cardiovascular disorders, by specifically focusing on the influence of epigenetic regulation. A special emphasis will highlight the effect on epigenetic regulation of human's current life habits, external and environmental factors, including food intake, tobacco, air pollution, and antioxidant-based approaches. Additionally, the strategy to quantify oxidative states in humans in order to determine which biological marker could best match a subject's profile will be discussed. PMID:28607629

Transgenerational Epigenetics: The Role of Maternal Effects in Cardiovascular Development

PubMed Central

Ho, Dao H.

2014-01-01

Transgenerational epigenetics, the study of non-genetic transfer of information from one generation to the next, has gained much attention in the past few decades due to the fact that, in many instances, epigenetic processes outweigh direct genetic processes in the manifestation of aberrant phenotypes across several generations. Maternal effects, or the influences of maternal environment, phenotype, and/or genotype on offsprings’ phenotypes, independently of the offsprings’ genotypes, are a subcategory of transgenerational epigenetics. Due to the intimate role of the mother during early development in animals, there is much interest in investigating the means by which maternal effects can shape the individual. Maternal effects are responsible for cellular organization, determination of the body axis, initiation and maturation of organ systems, and physiological performance of a wide variety of species and biological systems. The cardiovascular system is the first to become functional and can significantly influence the development of other organ systems. Thus, it is important to elucidate the role of maternal effects in cardiovascular development, and to understand its impact on adult cardiovascular health. Topics to be addressed include: (1) how and when do maternal effects change the developmental trajectory of the cardiovascular system to permanently alter the adult’s cardiovascular phenotype, (2) what molecular mechanisms have been associated with maternally induced cardiovascular phenotypes, and (3) what are the evolutionary implications of maternally mediated changes in cardiovascular phenotype? PMID:24813463

Obesity-induced Changes in Adipose Tissue Microenvironment and Their Impact on Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Fuster, Jose J.; Ouchi, Noriyuki; Gokce, Noyan; Walsh, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Obesity is causally linked with the development of cardiovascular disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates that cardiovascular disease is the “collateral damage” of obesity-driven adipose tissue dysfunction that promotes a chronic inflammatory state within the organism. Adipose tissues secrete bioactive substances, referred to as adipokines, which largely function as modulators of inflammation. The microenvironment of adipose tissue will affect the adipokine secretome, having actions on remote tissues. Obesity typically leads to the upregulation of pro-inflammatory adipokines and the downregulation of anti-inflammatory adipokines, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we focus on the microenvironment of adipose tissue and how it influences cardiovascular disorders, including atherosclerosis and ischemic heart diseases, through the systemic actions of adipokines. PMID:27230642

Skeletal muscle and nuclear hormone receptors: implications for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

PubMed

Smith, Aaron G; Muscat, George E O

2005-10-01

Skeletal muscle is a major mass peripheral tissue that accounts for approximately 40% of the total body mass and a major player in energy balance. It accounts for >30% of energy expenditure, is the primary tissue of insulin stimulated glucose uptake, disposal, and storage. Furthermore, it influences metabolism via modulation of circulating and stored lipid (and cholesterol) flux. Lipid catabolism supplies up to 70% of the energy requirements for resting muscle. However, initial aerobic exercise utilizes stored muscle glycogen but as exercise continues, glucose and stored muscle triglycerides become important energy substrates. Endurance exercise increasingly depends on fatty acid oxidation (and lipid mobilization from other tissues). This underscores the importance of lipid and glucose utilization as an energy source in muscle. Consequently skeletal muscle has a significant role in insulin sensitivity, the blood lipid profile, and obesity. Moreover, caloric excess, obesity and physical inactivity lead to skeletal muscle insulin resistance, a risk factor for the development of type II diabetes. In this context skeletal muscle is an important therapeutic target in the battle against cardiovascular disease, the worlds most serious public health threat. Major risk factors for cardiovascular disease include dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes. These risk factors are directly influenced by diet, metabolism and physical activity. Metabolism is largely regulated by nuclear hormone receptors which function as hormone regulated transcription factors that bind DNA and mediate the patho-physiological regulation of gene expression. Metabolism and activity, which directly influence cardiovascular disease risk factors, are primarily driven by skeletal muscle. Recently, many nuclear receptors expressed in skeletal muscle have been shown to improve glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Skeletal muscle and nuclear receptors are rapidly emerging as critical targets in the battle against cardiovascular disease risk factors. Understanding the function of nuclear receptors in skeletal muscle has enormous pharmacological utility for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. This review focuses on the molecular regulation of metabolism by nuclear receptors in skeletal muscle in the context of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.

Complement Activation: An Emerging Player in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Carter, Angela M.

2012-01-01

A wealth of evidence indicates a fundamental role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), contributing to the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesion formation, plaque rupture, and thrombosis. An increasing body of evidence supports a functional role for complement activation in the pathogenesis of CVD through pleiotropic effects on endothelial and haematopoietic cell function and haemostasis. Prospective and case control studies have reported strong relationships between several complement components and cardiovascular outcomes, and in vitro studies and animal models support a functional effect. Complement activation, in particular, generation of C5a and C5b-9, influences many processes involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, including promotion of endothelial cell activation, leukocyte infiltration into the extracellular matrix, stimulation of cytokine release from vascular smooth muscle cells, and promotion of plaque rupture. Complement activation also influences thrombosis, involving components of the mannose-binding lectin pathway, and C5b-9 in particular, through activation of platelets, promotion of fibrin formation, and impairment of fibrinolysis. The participation of the complement system in inflammation and thrombosis is consistent with the physiological role of the complement system as a rapid effector system conferring protection following vessel injury. However, in the context of CVD, these same processes contribute to development of atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, and thrombosis. PMID:24278688

Mechanisms Explaining the Influence of Subclinical Hypothyroidism on the Onset and Progression of Chronic Heart Failure.

PubMed

Triggiani, Vincenzo; Angelo Giagulli, Vito; De Pergola, Giovanni; Licchelli, Brunella; Guastamacchia, Edoardo; Iacoviello, Massimo

2016-01-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism can be associated with the onset and progression of chronic heart failure. We undertook a careful search of the literature aiming to review the possible pathogenetic mechanisms explaining the influence of subclinical hypothyroidism on the onset and progression of chronic heart failure. Thyroid hormones can influence the expression of genes involved in calcium handling and contractile properties of myocardiocytes. Subclinical hypothyroidism, therefore, can alter both cardiovascular morphology and function leading to changes in myocardiocytes shape and structure, and to alterations of both contractile and relaxing properties, impairing systolic as well as diastolic functions. Furthermore, it can favour dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction and diastolic hypertension, favouring atherogenesis and coronary heart disease, possibly evolving into chronic heart failure. Beside an influence on the onset of chronic heart failure, subclinical hypothyroidism can represent a risk factor for its progression, in particular hospitalization and mortality but the mechanisms involved need to be fully elucidated. Subclinical hypothyroidism can be associated with the onset of chronic heart failure, because it can favour two frequent conditions that can evolve in heart failure: coronary heart disease and hypertension; it can also alter both cardiovascular morphology and function leading to heart failure progression in patients already affected through mechanisms still not completely understood.

Cardiorespiratory responses to stimulation of the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis.

PubMed

Stremel, R W; Waldrop, T G; Richard, C A; Iwamoto, G A

1990-01-01

The nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (NGC) has been shown to be involved in somatosensory and somatomotor functions. The purpose of the present study was to determine, in anesthetized cats, the modulatory influence of the portion of the NGC at the ponto-medullary border on respiratory and cardiovascular control. Electrical stimulation (25-100 microA 70 Hz, and 1.0-msec pulse duration) significantly depressed mean arterial pressure, heart rate, breathing frequency, tidal volume and phrenic amplitude. Chemical stimulation of NGC cell bodies (1.0 M L-glutamate or 10(-3) M kainic acid) elicited similar decreases in ventilation, arterial pressure and heart rate. These results show that selective activation of cell bodies in the ponto-medullary NGC can depress, in parallel, respiratory and cardiovascular activity and suggests that the influence of diverse sensory information within this region of the reticular formation must be inhibitory to respiratory and cardiovascular output.

Alleviating Autonomic Dysreflexia after Spinal Cord Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

autonomic disorders greatly influence the functional, psychological , and socioeconomic aspects of patients’ lives. Compared to numer- ous...The disruption of descending autonomic pathways renders abnormalities in multiple organ systems including cardiovascular function, respiration...the rise in blood pressure, the integration center in the brainstem transmits signals to the heart via parasympathetic pathways to reduce the heart

Enjoying hobbies is related to desirable cardiovascular effects.

PubMed

Saihara, Keishi; Hamasaki, Shuichi; Ishida, Sanemasa; Kataoka, Tetsuro; Yoshikawa, Akiko; Orihara, Koji; Ogawa, Masakazu; Oketani, Naoya; Fukudome, Tsuyoshi; Atsuchi, Nobuhiko; Shinsato, Takuro; Okui, Hideki; Kubozono, Takuro; Ichiki, Hitoshi; Kuwahata, So; Mizoguchi, Etsuko; Fujita, Shoji; Takumi, Takuro; Ninomiya, Yuichi; Tomita, Kaai; Tei, Chuwa

2010-03-01

An unhealthy lifestyle can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanism by which lifestyle influences the development of cardiovascular disease remains unclear. Since coronary endothelial function is a predictor of cardiovascular prognosis, the goal of this study was to characterize the effect of enjoying hobbies on coronary endothelial function and cardiovascular outcomes. A total of 121 consecutive patients (76 men, 45 women) with almost normal coronary arteries underwent Doppler flow study of the left anterior descending coronary artery following sequential administration of papaverine, acetylcholine, and nitroglycerin. On the basis of responses to questionnaires, patients were divided into two groups; the Hobby group (n = 71) who enjoyed hobbies, and the Non-hobby group (n = 50) who had no hobbies. Cardiovascular outcomes were assessed at long-term follow-up using medical records or questionnaire surveys for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).The average follow-up period was 916 +/- 515 days. There were no significant differences in demographics when comparing the two groups. The percent change in coronary blood flow and coronary artery diameter induced by acetylcholine was significantly greater in the Hobby group than in the Non-hobby group (49% +/- 77% vs 25% +/- 37%, P < 0.05, 4% +/- 13% vs -3% +/- 20%, P < 0.05, respectively). The MACE rate was significantly lower in the Hobby group than in the Non-hobby group (P < 0.01). Enjoyment of hobbies was the only independent predictor of MACE (odds ratio 8.1 [95% confidence interval 1.60, 41.90], P = 0.01) among the variables tested. In the early stages of arteriosclerosis, enjoying hobbies may improve cardiovascular outcomes via its favorable effects on coronary endothelial function.

The relevance of central command for the neural cardiovascular control of exercise.

PubMed

Williamson, J W

2010-11-01

This paper briefly reviews the role of central command in the neural control of the circulation during exercise. While defined as a feedforward component of the cardiovascular control system, central command is also associated with perception of effort or effort sense. The specific factors influencing perception of effort and their effect on autonomic regulation of cardiovascular function during exercise can vary according to condition. Centrally mediated integration of multiple signals occurring during exercise certainly involves feedback mechanisms, but it is unclear whether or how these signals modify central command via their influence on perception of effort. As our understanding of central neural control systems continues to develop, it will be important to examine more closely how multiple sensory signals are prioritized and processed centrally to modulate cardiovascular responses during exercise. The purpose of this article is briefly to review the concepts underlying central command and its assessment via perception of effort, and to identify potential areas for future studies towards determining the role and relevance of central command for neural control of exercise.

The relevance of central command for the neural cardiovascular control of exercise

PubMed Central

Williamson, J W

2010-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the role of central command in the neural control of the circulation during exercise. While defined as a feedfoward component of the cardiovascular control system, central command is also associated with perception of effort or effort sense. The specific factors influencing perception of effort and their effect on autonomic regulation of cardiovascular function during exercise can vary according to condition. Centrally mediated integration of multiple signals occurring during exercise certainly involves feedback mechanisms, but it is unclear whether or how these signals modify central command via their influence on perception of effort. As our understanding of central neural control systems continues to develop, it will be important to examine more closely how multiple sensory signals are prioritized and processed centrally to modulate cardiovascular responses during exercise. The purpose of this article is briefly to review the concepts underlying central command and its assessment via perception of effort, and to identify potential areas for future studies towards determining the role and relevance of central command for neural control of exercise. PMID:20696787

Insensitivity of cardiovascular function to low power cm-/mm-microwaves.

PubMed

Kantz, J; Müller, J; Hadeler, K P; Landstorfer, F M; Lang, F

2005-06-01

A previous study failed to disclose an effect of short (15 min) exposure to low level energy microwaves (3 microW/cm2) emitted by a commercially available automobile radar system (77 GHz) for adaptive cruise control (ACC) on cardiovascular function. The present study explored whether a 15 min exposure to higher level energy microwaves of frequencies varying from 5.8 to 110 GHz influences cardiovascular function. To this end heart rate, skin temperature (thermocouple), skin conductance (Ag/AgCl electrodes), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (automatic cuff) were recorded in 50 test persons before, during and after a 15 min exposure to a sequential pattern of microwaves varying from 5.8 to 110 GHz (59.7 microW/cm2). After an equilibration period of 30 min the first group of test persons and after additional 30 min the second group of test persons were exposed. The study has been performed in a strict double blind design. While significant effects on the measured parameters were observed depending on time ("calming" effect), no significant difference was observed between exposure and sham exposure to microwaves. In view of the small scatter of the data the present study rules out physiologically relevant effects of moderate energy (59.7 microW/cm2) microwaves varying from 5.8 to 110 GHz on cardiovascular function.

Proofs concerning the existence, in the blood of hypertensive patients, of some serum factors influencing the vascular smooth muscle and the myocardium physiology.

PubMed

Mocanu, M; Botea, S; Dragomir, C T

1991-01-01

Starting from the existence of some autoimmune diseases (i.e. bronchial asthma or miastenia gravis) we asked ourselves if some plasmatic factors do exist, influencing the receptor--mediator relations in cardiovascular system during some illnesses having unknown etiology, as arterial hypertension. For this reason, in this work was tested the hypothesis that, in some chronic cardiovascular diseases would exist factors circulating and affecting the functions of the cellular membranes of the arterial wall, particularly of the smooth muscle cells and myocardial cells. Our results show a significant modification of the calcium fluxes and of some neuromediators uptake at the hypertensive patients.

In Women with Previous Pregnancy Hypertension, Levels of Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers May Be Modulated by Haptoglobin Polymorphism

PubMed Central

Clara Bicho, Maria; Areias, Maria José; Rebelo, Irene

2014-01-01

Preeclampsia (PE) may affect the risk for future cardiovascular disease. Haptoglobin (Hp), an acute phase protein with functional genetic polymorphism, synthesized in the hepatocyte and in many peripheral tissues secondary of oxidative stress of PE, may modulate that risk through the antioxidant, angiogenic, and anti-inflammatory differential effects of their genotypes. We performed a prospective study in 352 women aged 35 ± 5.48 years, which 165 had previous PE, 2 to 16 years ago. We studied demographic, anthropometric, and haemodynamic biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and nitric oxide metabolites (total and nitrites), and others associated with liver function (AST and ALT) and lipid profile (total LDL and cholesterol HDL, non-HDL, and apolipoproteins A and B). Finally, we study the influence of Hp genetic polymorphism on all these biomarkers and as a predisposing factor for PE and its remote cardiovascular disease prognosis. Previously preeclamptic women either hypertensive or normotensive presented significant differences in those risk biomarkers (MPO, nitrites, and ALT), whose variation may be modulated by Hp 1/2 functional genetic polymorphism. The history of PE may be relevant, in association with these biomarkers to the cardiovascular risk in premenopausal women. PMID:25101128

The assessment of Big Five Personality Factors and Temperament Domains as modifiers of cardiovascular response to occupational stress.

PubMed

Merecz, D; Makowska, Z; Makowiec-Dabrowska, T

1999-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore the role of Big Five Personality Factors and Temperament Domains as the factors influencing cardiovascular response to work, and their moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and cardiovascular reactivity. The self-reported data on occupational stress and filled in NEO-Five Factor Inventory by Costa, and McCrae and Pavlovian Temperament Survey by Strelau et al. were collected from 97 bank clerks employed in large bank branches. The subjects also responded to the questionnaire on personal and professional background factors. A 24 hour monitoring of cardiovascular reactivity (heart rate and blood pressure) was also provided. Conscientiousness was found to be the only modifier of cardiovascular response to occupational stress reflected by systolic blood pressure. Several main, independent of stress effects of personality and temperament domains were also found. The ratio of heart rate at work to heart rate during sleep was associated with the strength of excitatory process, the percentage of maximum heart rate index with Conscientiousness, and systolic blood pressure at work was influenced by the strength of inhibitory process. However, generally speaking, physiological indicators of the cardiovascular system functioning were not very sensitive to changes in values of personality and temperament variables at the level of occupational stress reported by the bank clerks who participated in the study.

Correlation of macro and micro cardiovascular function during weightlessness and simulated weightlessness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutchins, P. M.; Marshburn, T. H.; Smith, T. L.; Osborne, S. W.; Lynch, C. D.; Moultsby, S. J.

1988-01-01

The investigation of cardiovascular function necessarily involves a consideration of the exchange of substances at the capillary. If cardiovascular function is compromised or in any way altered during exposure to zero gravity in space, then it stands to reason that microvascular function is also modified. We have shown that an increase in cardiac output similar to that reported during simulated weightlessness is associated with a doubling of the number of post-capillary venules and a reduction in the number of arterioles by 35%. If the weightlessness of space travel produces similar changes in cardiopulmonary volume and cardiac output, a reasonable expectation is that astronauts will undergo venous neovascularization. We have developed an animal model in which to correlate microvascular and systemic cardiovascular function. The microcirculatory preparation consists of a lightweight, thermo-neutral chamber implanted around intact skeletal muscle on the back of a rat. Using this technique, the performed microvasculature of the cutaneous maximus muscle may be observed in the conscious, unanesthetized animal. Microcirculatory variables which may be obtained include venular and arteriolar numbers, lengths and diameters, single vessel flow velocities, vasomotion, capillary hematocrit anastomoses and orders of branching. Systemic hemodynamic monitoring of cardiac output by electromagnetic flowmetry, and arterial and venous pressures allows correlation of macro- and microcirculatory changes at the same time, in the same animal. Observed and calculated hemodynamic variables also include pulse pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, aortic compliance, minute work, peak aortic flow velocity and systolic time interval. In this manner, an integrated assessment of total cardiovascular function may be obtained in the same animal without the complicating influence of anesthetics.

Parathyroid Gland Function in Primary Aldosteronism.

PubMed

Asbach, E; Bekeran, M; Reincke, M

2015-12-01

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent cause of secondary arterial hypertension. Beyond its effects on intravascular volume and blood pressure, PA causes metabolic alterations and a higher cardiovascular morbidity, which is reduced by PA-directed therapy. Experimental studies demonstrated that mineralocorticoid excess may also influence mineral homeostasis. A role in cardiovascular disease has also been attributed to parathyroid hormone (PTH). Increasing evidence supports a bidirectional interaction between aldosterone and PTH.Primary hyperparathyroidism is associated with arterial hypertension and an increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which might be associated to higher aldosterone values; parathyreoidectomy results in lowered aldosterone and blood pressure levels. PA leads to secondary hyperparathyroidism, which is reversible by PA-directed therapy. A lower bone mineral density and a higher fracture rate were also shown to be reversible by PA-directed therapy. There is a suspicion of a bidirectional interaction between aldosterone and PTH, which might lead to a higher cardiovascular risk. There are more and more reports about coincident PA and primary hyperparathyroidism. From a pathophysiologic point of view this constellation is best characterized as tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Future aspects should further clarify the extent of these endocrine interactions and analyze the influence of this interplay on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and bone health. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Performance feedback, self-esteem, and cardiovascular adaptation to recurring stressors.

PubMed

Brown, Eoin G; Creaven, Ann-Marie

2017-05-01

This study sought to examine the effects of performance feedback and individual differences in self-esteem on cardiovascular habituation to repeat stress exposure. Sixty-six university students (n = 39 female) completed a self-esteem measure and completed a cardiovascular stress-testing protocol involving repeated exposure to a mental arithmetic task. Cardiovascular functioning was sampled across four phases: resting baseline, initial stress exposure, a recovery period, and repeated stress exposure. Participants were randomly assigned to receive fictional positive feedback, negative feedback, or no feedback following the recovery period. Negative feedback was associated with a sensitized blood pressure response to a second exposure of the stress task. Positive feedback was associated with decreased cardiovascular and psychological responses to a second exposure. Self-esteem was also found to predict reactivity and this interacted with the type of feedback received. These findings suggest that negative performance feedback sensitizes cardiovascular reactivity to stress, whereas positive performance feedback increases both cardiovascular and psychological habituation to repeat exposure to stressors. Furthermore, an individual's self-esteem also appears to influence this process.

Estrogen receptor β actions in the female cardiovascular system: A systematic review of animal and human studies.

PubMed

Muka, Taulant; Vargas, Kris G; Jaspers, Loes; Wen, Ke-xin; Dhana, Klodian; Vitezova, Anna; Nano, Jana; Brahimaj, Adela; Colpani, Veronica; Bano, Arjola; Kraja, Bledar; Zaciragic, Asija; Bramer, Wichor M; van Dijk, Gaby M; Kavousi, Maryam; Franco, Oscar H

2016-04-01

Five medical databases were searched for studies that assessed the role of ERβ in the female cardiovascular system and the influence of age and menopause on ERβ functioning. Of 9472 references, 88 studies met our inclusion criteria (71 animal model experimental studies, 15 human model experimental studies and 2 population based studies). ERβ signaling was shown to possess vasodilator and antiangiogenic properties by regulating the activity of nitric oxide, altering membrane ionic permeability in vascular smooth muscle cells, inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation and by regulating adrenergic control of the arteries. Also, a possible protective effect of ERβ signaling against left ventricular hypertrophy and ischemia/reperfusion injury via genomic and non-genomic pathways was suggested in 27 studies. Moreover, 5 studies reported that the vascular effects of ERβ may be vessel specific and may differ by age and menopause status. ERβ seems to possess multiple functions in the female cardiovascular system. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether isoform-selective ERβ-ligands might contribute to cardiovascular disease prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE MITOCHONDRIAL PARADIGM FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND CELLULAR FUNCTION: A COMPLEMENTARY CONCEPT TO MENDELIAN GENETICS

PubMed Central

Kryzwanski, David M.; Moellering, Douglas; Fetterman, Jessica L.; Dunham-Snary, Kimberly J.; Sammy, Melissa J.; Ballinger, Scott W.

2013-01-01

While there is general agreement that cardiovascular disease (CVD) development is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral contributors, the actual mechanistic basis of how these factors initiate or promote CVD development in some individuals while others with identical risk profiles do not, is not clearly understood. This review considers the potential role for mitochondrial genetics and function in determining CVD susceptibility from the standpoint that the original features that molded cellular function were based upon mitochondrial-nuclear relationships established millions of years ago and were likely refined during prehistoric environmental selection events that today, are largely absent. Consequently, contemporary risk factors that influence our susceptibility to a variety of age-related diseases, including CVD were probably not part of the dynamics that defined the processes of mitochondrial – nuclear interaction, and thus, cell function. In this regard, the selective conditions that contributed to cellular functionality and evolution should be given more consideration when interpreting and designing experimental data and strategies. Finally, future studies that probe beyond epidemiologic associations are required. These studies will serve as the initial steps for addressing the provocative concept that contemporary human disease susceptibility is the result of selection events for mitochondrial function that increased chances for prehistoric human survival and reproductive success. PMID:21647091

Concord Grape Juice Supplementation Improves Memory Function In Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Concord grape juice contains flavonoid polyphenol compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and influence neuronal signaling. Concord grape juice supplementation has been shown to reduce inflammation, blood pressure, and vascular pathology in individuals with cardiovascular...

Influence of Education and Neighborhood Poverty on Pressor Responses to Phenylephrine in African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans

PubMed Central

Thomas, KaMala S.; Nelesen, Richard A.; Ziegler, Michael G.; Natarajan, Loki; Dimsdale, Joel E.

2009-01-01

Although neighborhood disadvantage has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, the mechanism through which living in impoverished neighborhoods is associated with poor cardiovascular health is not well understood. Additionally, it is not clear whether individual socioeconomic status (SES) interacts with neighborhood factors to influence cardiovascular outcomes. Using multilevel modeling, we examined the interaction between neighborhood poverty and individual SES on pressor responses to an alpha agonist, Phenylephrine (PE), in an adult sample of 105 African-Americans and 106 Caucasian-Americans. Neighborhood poverty was assessed using census block data gathered from the Census Bureau. Education and occupation were used to assess individual SES. Pressor responsiveness was calculated as the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) response to a 100-microgram PE bolus administered intravenously. There was a significant interaction between education and neighborhood poverty on pressor responses. Higher education was associated with smaller BP responses to PE; but only in individuals who lived in neighborhoods in which less than 5% of the residents lived below the poverty line. Occupation was unrelated to pressor responses to PE. These results suggest that neighborhood characteristics play an important role in cardiovascular functioning. PMID:19427353

Independent effects of early-life experience and trait aggression on cardiovascular function

PubMed Central

Rana, Samir; Pugh, Phyllis C.; Katz, Erin; Stringfellow, Sara A.; Lin, Chee Paul; Wyss, J. Michael; Stauss, Harald M.; White, C. Roger; Clinton, Sarah M.

2016-01-01

Early-life experience (ELE) can significantly affect life-long health and disease, including cardiovascular function. Specific dimensions of emotionality also modify risk of disease, and aggressive traits along with social inhibition have been established as independent vulnerability factors for the progression of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the biological mechanisms mediating these associations remain poorly understood. The present study utilized the inherently stress-susceptible and socially inhibited Wistar-Kyoto rats to determine the potential influences of ELE and trait aggression (TA) on cardiovascular parameters throughout the lifespan. Pups were exposed to maternal separation (MS), consisting of daily 3-h separations of the entire litter from postnatal day (P)1 to P14. The rats were weaned at P21, and as adults were instrumented for chronic radiotelemetry recordings of blood pressure and heart rate (HR). Adult aggressive behavior was assessed using the resident-intruder test, which demonstrated that TA was independent of MS exposure. MS-exposed animals (irrespective of TA) had significantly lower resting HR accompanied by increases in HR variability. No effects of MS on resting blood pressure were detected. In contrast, TA correlated with increased resting mean, systolic, and diastolic arterial pressures but had no effect on HR. TA rats (relative to nonaggressive animals) also manifested increased wall-to-lumen ratio in the thoracic aorta, increased sensitivity to phenylephrine-induced vascular contractility, and increased norepinephrine content in the heart. Together these data suggest that ELE and TA are independent factors that impact baseline cardiovascular function. PMID:27280432

S-nitrosothiols and the S-nitrosoproteome of the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Maron, Bradley A; Tang, Shiow-Shih; Loscalzo, Joseph

2013-01-20

Since their discovery in the early 1990's, S-nitrosylated proteins have been increasingly recognized as important determinants of many biochemical processes. Specifically, S-nitrosothiols in the cardiovascular system exert many actions, including promoting vasodilation, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and regulating Ca(2+) channel function that influences myocyte contractility and electrophysiologic stability. Contemporary developments in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, the development of biotin- and His-tag switch assays, and the availability of cyanide dye-labeling for S-nitrosothiol detection in vitro have increased significantly the identification of a number of cardiovascular protein targets of S-nitrosylation in vivo. Recent analyses using modern S-nitrosothiol detection techniques have revealed the mechanistic significance of S-nitrosylation to the pathophysiology of numerous cardiovascular diseases, including essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure, among others. Despite enhanced insight into S-nitrosothiol biochemistry, translating these advances into beneficial pharmacotherapies for patients with cardiovascular diseases remains a primary as-yet unmet goal for investigators within the field.

The intrinsic circadian clock within the cardiomyocyte directly regulates myocardial gene expression, metabolism, and function

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Circadian rhythms have been firmly established in both cardiovascular physiology (e.g., heart rate, cardiac output) and pathophysiology (e.g., arrhythmias). These phenomena have been attributed primarily to circadian rhythms in neurohumoral influences, such as sympathetic activity. Virtually every...

Potential Role for Peripheral Circadian Clock Dyssynchrony in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Young, Martin E.; Bray, Molly S.

2007-01-01

Circadian clocks are intracellular molecular mechanisms designed to allow the cell, organ, and organism to prepare for an anticipated stimulus prior to its onset. In order for circadian clocks to maintain their selective advantage, they must be entrained to the environment. Light, sound, temperature, physical activity (including sleep/wake transitions), and food intake are among the strongest environmental factors influencing mammalian circadian clocks. Normal circadian rhythmicities in these environmental factors have become severely disrupted in our modern day society, concomitant with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Here, we review our current knowledge regarding the roles of peripheral circadian clocks, concentrating on those found within tissues directly involved in metabolic homeostasis and cardiovascular function. We propose that both inter- and intra- organ dyssynchronization, through alteration/impairment of peripheral circadian clocks, accelerates the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with cardiometabolic syndrome. PMID:17387040

Do physical activity levels influence the cardiovascular-related physiological characteristics of postmenopausal women?

PubMed

Barnett, Fiona

2009-12-01

This study aimed to determine whether cardiovascular-related physiological differences existed among postmenopausal women in relation to their physical activity levels. Participants were postmenopausal women (n= 101) resident in North Queensland. A self-report questionnaire determined recent exercise history. Anthropometric and physiological measures were obtained. Participants also performed a six-minute graded exercise test to determine cardiorespiratory fitness. Compared with the women who exercised, those women who did not exercise had a lower level of cardiorespiratory fitness (P= 0.00) and higher resting diastolic blood pressure (P= 0.01), BMI (P= 0.00) and WHR (P= 0.02). Discriminant function analysis found that a combination of BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness discriminated between the two groups. Postmenopausal women who performed moderate-intensity physical activity had more favourable cardiovascular-related physiological characteristics. Health professionals should encourage more postmenopausal women to participate in moderate-intensity activity to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Role of Uremic Toxins for Kidney, Cardiovascular, and Bone Dysfunction.

PubMed

Fujii, Hideki; Goto, Shunsuke; Fukagawa, Masafumi

2018-05-16

With decreasing kidney function, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mineral bone disorders frequently emerge in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). For these patients, in addition to the traditional risk factors, non-traditional CKD-specific risk factors are also associated with such diseases and conditions. One of these non-traditional risk factors is the accumulation of uremic toxins (UTs). In addition, the accumulation of UTs further deteriorates kidney function. Recently, a huge number of UTs have been identified. Although many experimental and clinical studies have reported associations between UTs and the progression of CKD, CVD, and bone disease, these relationships are very complex and have not been fully elucidated. Among the UTs, indoxyl sulfate, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and p -cresylsulfate have been of particular focus, up until now. In this review, we summarize the pathophysiological influences of these UTs on the kidney, cardiovascular system, and bone, and discuss the clinical data regarding the harmful effects of these UTs on diseases and conditions.

Influence hypervitaminosis D3 on hemodynamic presentation of experimental copper intoxication.

PubMed

Brin, V B; Mittsiev, K G; Mittsiev, A K; Kabisov, O T

2016-01-01

As a component of various enzymes, it refers to copper essential trace elements, but the excessive consumption of the metal leads to the development of the pathogenic effects of xenobiotics on the functional condition of the cardiovascular system. However, the works devoted to the study of the effectiveness of prophylactic calcium in a copper toxicity, is not in the current literature. study the effect of long-term toxicity of copper on the functional state of the cardiovascular system and its reactivity in experimental hypercalcemia. Experimental hypercalcemia model was created by forming a pilot hypervitaminosis D, by introducing «Akvadetrim» atraumatic preparation through a probe into the stomach in the dose 3000 IU (0.2 ml) / 100 g of body weight for 30 days. Chronic copper poisoning model created by intragastric administration of copper sulfate solution at a dosage of 20 mg/kg (in terms of metal) for 30 days, daily one time a day. The study of the functional state of the cardiovascular system is to determine the mean arterial pressure, specific peripheral vascular resistance, stroke index, cardiac index, the reactivity of the renin-angiotensin system and adrenoreactivity cardiovascular system. The experimental study revealed that long-term copper poisoning leads to the development of hypertension due to an increase in total peripheral vascular resistance, along with the marked decline in the pumping function of the heart. Experimental hypercalcemia simulated by intragastric administration of vitamin D promotes more pronounced toxic effects of copper sulfate on the cardiovascular system. Copper poisoning of the body is characterized by the development of hypertension and the condition of artificial hypercalcemia potentiates the cardiotoxic effects of copper.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor acts at neurons of the subfornical organ to influence cardiovascular function.

PubMed

Black, Emily A E; Smith, Pauline M; McIsaac, William; Ferguson, Alastair V

2018-05-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin traditionally associated with neural plasticity, has more recently been implicated in fluid balance and cardiovascular regulation. It is abundantly expressed in both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissue, and is also found in circulation. Studies suggest that circulating BDNF may influence the CNS through actions at the subfornical organ (SFO), a circumventricular organ (CVO) characterized by the lack of a normal blood-brain barrier (BBB). The SFO, well-known for its involvement in cardiovascular regulation, has been shown to express BDNF mRNA and mRNA for the TrkB receptor at which BDNF preferentially binds. This study was undertaken to determine if: (1) BDNF influences the excitability of SFO neurons in vitro; and (2) the cardiovascular consequences of direct administration of BDNF into the SFO of anesthetized rats. Electrophysiological studies revealed that bath application of BDNF (1 nmol/L) influenced the excitability of the majority of neurons (60%, n = 13/22), the majority of which exhibited a membrane depolarization (13.8 ± 2.5 mV, n = 9) with the remaining affected cells exhibiting hyperpolarizations (-11.1 ± 2.3 mV, n = 4). BDNF microinjections into the SFO of anesthetized rats caused a significant decrease in blood pressure (mean [area under the curve] AUC = -364.4 ± 89.0 mmHg × sec, n = 5) with no effects on heart rate (mean AUC = -12.2 ± 3.4, n = 5). Together these observations suggest the SFO to be a CNS site at which circulating BDNF could exert its effects on cardiovascular regulation. © 2018 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Metal Nanomaterial Toxicity Variations Within the Vascular System

PubMed Central

Abukabda, Alaeddin B.; Stapleton, Phoebe A.; Nurkiewicz, Timothy R.

2016-01-01

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are anthropogenic materials with at least one dimension less than 100 nm. Their ubiquitous employment in biomedical and industrial applications in the absence of full toxicological assessments raises significant concerns over their safety on human health. This is a significant concern, especially for metal and metal oxide ENM as they may possess the greatest potential to impair human health. A large body of literature has developed that reflects adverse systemic effects associated with exposure to these materials, but an integrated mechanistic framework for how ENM exposure influences morbidity remains elusive. This may be due in large part to the tremendous diversity of existing ENM and the rate at which novel ENM are produced. In this review, the influence of specific ENM physicochemical characteristics and hemodynamic factors on cardiovascular toxicity are discussed. Additionally, the toxicity of metallic, and metal oxide ENM is presented in the context of the cardiovascular system and its discrete anatomical and functional components. Finally, future directions and understudied topics are presented. While it is clear that the nanotechnology boom has increased our interest in ENM toxicity, it is also evident that the field of cardiovascular nanotoxicology remains in its infancy and continued, expansive research is necessary in order to determine the mechanisms via which ENM exposure contributes to cardiovascular morbidity. PMID:27686080

Can hostility interfere with the health benefits of giving and receiving social support? The impact of cynical hostility on cardiovascular reactivity during social support interactions among friends.

PubMed

Holt-Lunstad, Julianne; Smith, Timothy W; Uchino, Bert N

2008-06-01

Both social support and hostility have been reliably associated with important health outcomes including coronary heart disease (CHD). One potential pathway by which these variables may influence CHD is via their impact on cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). Although social support has been generally associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular functioning, the cynicism and mistrust among hostile individuals may prevent them from benefiting from the support process during times of stress. The present study examined if level of hostility influenced CVR when discussing positive or negative personal experiences with a friend. To test this, healthy males and females and their same-sex friend were recruited (N = 216) and randomly assigned to discuss either a positive or negative (stressful) personal experience while cardiovascular measures were recorded. Results revealed the greatest systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure reactivity among individuals high in hostility when discussing a negative experience. These results suggest that hostility may interfere with the benefits from support transactions during stress. Likewise, this association between hostility and reactivity was apparent for both support recipients and support providers, suggesting that hostility could undermine the health benefits of both aspects of support transactions.

Treating atherosclerosis with regulatory T cells.

PubMed

Foks, Amanda C; Lichtman, Andrew H; Kuiper, Johan

2015-02-01

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in the regulation of T-cell-mediated immune responses through suppression of T-cell proliferation and secretion of inhibitory cytokines, such as interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β. Impaired Treg numbers and function have been associated with numerous diseases, and an imbalance between proinflammatory/proatherogenic cells and Tregs promotes atherosclerotic disease. Restoration of this balance by inducing Tregs has great therapeutic potential to prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition to suppressing differentiation and function of effector T cells, Tregs have been shown to induce anti-inflammatory macrophages, inhibit foam cell formation and to influence cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, Tregs suppress immune responses of endothelial cells and innate lymphoid cells. In this review, we focus on the recent knowledge on Treg subsets, their activity and function in atherosclerosis, and discuss promising strategies to use Tregs as a therapeutic tool to prevent cardiovascular disease. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Vitamin D and Heart Failure.

PubMed

Marshall Brinkley, D; Ali, Omair M; Zalawadiya, Sandip K; Wang, Thomas J

2017-10-01

Vitamin D is principally known for its role in calcium homeostasis, but preclinical studies implicate multiple pathways through which vitamin D may affect cardiovascular function and influence risk for heart failure. Many adults with cardiovascular disease have low vitamin D status, making it a potential therapeutic target. We review the rationale and potential role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. Substantial observational evidence has associated low vitamin D status with the risk of heart failure, ventricular remodeling, and clinical outcomes in heart failure, including mortality. However, trials assessing the influence of vitamin D supplementation on surrogate markers and clinical outcomes in heart failure have generally been small and inconclusive. There are insufficient data to recommend routine assessment or supplementation of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of chronic heart failure. Prospective trials powered for clinical outcomes are warranted.

[Gender aspects of socioeconomic and psychosocial risk factors of cardiovascular diseases].

PubMed

Dorner, Thomas; Kiefer, Ingrid; Kunze, Michael; Rieder, Anita

2004-09-01

Socioeconomic and psychosocial factors exert influence on health as well as the development, the progression and the prevention of diseases. Social factors regarding cardiovascular diseases have been widely researched. Whilst characteristics of classic type A behaviour increase cardiovascular risk among men, characteristics of type B behaviour represent a protective value, especially among women. Depression--a disease that is particularly prevalent among women and is associated with socioeconomic factors--negatively influences the development of cardiovascular diseases, triggers cardiovascular events and influences rehabilitation. Lifestyle factors, which are positively or negatively correlated with cardiovascular disease, show a gender-specific prevalence and are related to psychosocial factors. More women than men report healthy nutrition, whereas more men report partaking in physical exercise. Obesity is--depending on the occupational group and the social level--more prevalent among women compared to men.

S-Nitrosothiols and the S-Nitrosoproteome of the Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Maron, Bradley A.; Tang, Shiow-Shih

2013-01-01

Abstract Significance: Since their discovery in the early 1990's, S-nitrosylated proteins have been increasingly recognized as important determinants of many biochemical processes. Specifically, S-nitrosothiols in the cardiovascular system exert many actions, including promoting vasodilation, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and regulating Ca2+ channel function that influences myocyte contractility and electrophysiologic stability. Recent Advances: Contemporary developments in liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry methods, the development of biotin- and His-tag switch assays, and the availability of cyanide dye-labeling for S-nitrosothiol detection in vitro have increased significantly the identification of a number of cardiovascular protein targets of S-nitrosylation in vivo. Critical Issues: Recent analyses using modern S-nitrosothiol detection techniques have revealed the mechanistic significance of S-nitrosylation to the pathophysiology of numerous cardiovascular diseases, including essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure, among others. Future Directions: Despite enhanced insight into S-nitrosothiol biochemistry, translating these advances into beneficial pharmacotherapies for patients with cardiovascular diseases remains a primary as-yet unmet goal for investigators within the field. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 270–287. PMID:22770551

Reactive oxygen species: players in the cardiovascular effects of testosterone

PubMed Central

Carneiro, Fernando S.; Carvalho, Maria Helena C.; Reckelhoff, Jane F.

2015-01-01

Androgens are essential for the development and maintenance of male reproductive tissues and sexual function and for overall health and well being. Testosterone, the predominant and most important androgen, not only affects the male reproductive system, but also influences the activity of many other organs. In the cardiovascular system, the actions of testosterone are still controversial, its effects ranging from protective to deleterious. While early studies showed that testosterone replacement therapy exerted beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease, some recent safety studies point to a positive association between endogenous and supraphysiological levels of androgens/testosterone and cardiovascular disease risk. Among the possible mechanisms involved in the actions of testosterone on the cardiovascular system, indirect actions (changes in the lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and hemostatic mechanisms, modulation of the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system), as well as direct actions (modulatory effects on proinflammatory enzymes, on the generation of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide bioavailability, and on vasoconstrictor signaling pathways) have been reported. This mini-review focuses on evidence indicating that testosterone has prooxidative actions that may contribute to its deleterious actions in the cardiovascular system. The controversial effects of testosterone on ROS generation and oxidant status, both prooxidant and antioxidant, in the cardiovascular system and in cells and tissues of other systems are reviewed. PMID:26538238

Chaos in the heart: the interaction between body and mind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redington, Dana

1993-11-01

A number of factors influence the chaotic dynamics of heart function. Genetics, age, sex, disease, the environment, experience, and of course the mind, play roles in influencing cardiovascular dynamics. The mind is of particular interest because it is an emergent phenomenon of the body admittedly seated and co-occurrent in the brain. The brain serves as the body's controller, and commands the heart through complex multipathway feedback loops. Structures deep within the brain, the hypothalamus and other centers in the brainstem, modulate heart function, partially as a result of afferent input from the body but also a result of higher mental processes. What can chaos in the body, i.e., the nonlinear dynamics of the heart, tell of the mind? This paper presents a brief overview of the spectral structure of heart rate activity followed by a summary of experimental results based on phase space analysis of data from semi-structured interviews. This paper then describes preliminary quantification of cardiovascular dynamics during different stressor conditions in an effort to apply more quantitative methods to clinical data.

Gender differences in developmental programming of cardiovascular diseases

PubMed Central

Dasinger, John Henry; Alexander, Barbara T.

2016-01-01

Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Although multiple factors contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension, studies by Dr. David Barker reporting an inverse relationship between birth weight and blood pressure led to the hypothesis that slow growth during fetal life increases blood pressure and the risk for cardiovascular disease in later life. It is now recognized that growth during infancy and childhood in addition to exposure to adverse influences during fetal life contribute to the developmental programming of increased cardiovascular risk. Numerous epidemiological studies support the link between influences during early life with later cardiovascular health; experimental models provide proof of principle and indicate that numerous mechanisms contribute to the developmental origins of chronic disease. Sex impacts the severity of cardiovascular risk in experimental models of developmental insult. Yet, few studies examine the influence of sex on blood pressure and cardiovascular health in low birth weight men and women. Fewer still assess how aging impacts sex differences in programmed cardiovascular risk. Thus, the aim of this review is to highlight current data regarding sex differences in the developmental programming of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. PMID:26814204

Autonomic Cardiovascular Control and Executive Function in Chronic Hypotension.

PubMed

Duschek, Stefan; Hoffmann, Alexandra; Reyes Del Paso, Gustavo A; Ettinger, Ulrich

2017-06-01

Chronic low blood pressure (hypotension) is characterized by complaints such as fatigue, reduced drive, dizziness, and cold limbs. Additionally, deficits in attention and memory have been observed. Autonomic dysregulation is considered to be involved in the origin of this condition. The study explored autonomic cardiovascular control in the context of higher cognitive processing (executive function) in hypotension. Hemodynamic recordings were performed in 40 hypotensive and 40 normotensive participants during execution of four classical executive function tasks (number-letter task, n-back task, continuous performance test, and flanker task). Parameters of cardiac sympathetic control, i.e., stroke volume, cardiac output, pre-ejection period, total peripheral resistance, and parasympathetic control, i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia and baroreflex sensitivity, were obtained. The hypotensive group exhibited lower stroke volume and cardiac output, as well as higher pre-ejection period and baroreflex sensitivity during task execution. Increased error rates in hypotensive individuals were observed in the n-back and flanker tasks. In the total sample, there were positive correlations of error rates with pre-ejection period, baroreflex sensitivity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and negative correlations with cardiac output. Group differences in stroke volume, cardiac output, and pre-ejection period suggest diminished beta-adrenergic myocardial drive during executive function processing in hypotension, in addition to increased baroreflex function. Although further research is warranted to quantify the extent of executive function impairment in hypotension, the results from correlation analysis add evidence to the notion that higher sympathetic inotropic influences and reduced parasympathetic cardiac influences are accompanied by better cognitive performance.

Acupuncture's Cardiovascular Actions: A Mechanistic Perspective.

PubMed

Longhurst, John

2013-04-01

Over the last several decades, there has been an explosion of articles on acupuncture, including studies that have begun to explore mechanisms underlying its analgesic and cardiovascular actions. Modulation of cardiovascular function is most effective during manual and low-frequency, low-intensity electroacupuncture (EA) at a select set of acupoints situated along meridians located over deep somatic nerves on the upper and lower extremities. Stimulation at these acupoints activates underlying sensory neural pathways that project to a number of regions in the central nervous system (CNS) that ultimately regulate autonomic outflow and hence cardiovascular function. A long-loop pathway involving the hypothalamus, midbrain, and medulla underlies EA modulation of reflex increases in blood pressure (BP). Actions of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the supraspinal CNS underlie processing of the somatic input and adjustment of autonomic outflow during EA. Acupuncture also decreases elevated blood pressure through actions in the thoracic spinal cord. Reflexes that lower BP likewise are modulated by EA through its actions on sympathetic and parasympathetic nuclei in the medulla. The autonomic influence of acupuncture is slow in onset but prolonged in duration, typically lasting beyond the period of stimulation. Clinical studies suggest that acupuncture can be used to treat cardiac diseases, such as myocardial ischemia and hypertension, associated with overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Acupuncture's Cardiovascular Actions: A Mechanistic Perspective

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstract Over the last several decades, there has been an explosion of articles on acupuncture, including studies that have begun to explore mechanisms underlying its analgesic and cardiovascular actions. Modulation of cardiovascular function is most effective during manual and low-frequency, low-intensity electroacupuncture (EA) at a select set of acupoints situated along meridians located over deep somatic nerves on the upper and lower extremities. Stimulation at these acupoints activates underlying sensory neural pathways that project to a number of regions in the central nervous system (CNS) that ultimately regulate autonomic outflow and hence cardiovascular function. A long-loop pathway involving the hypothalamus, midbrain, and medulla underlies EA modulation of reflex increases in blood pressure (BP). Actions of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the supraspinal CNS underlie processing of the somatic input and adjustment of autonomic outflow during EA. Acupuncture also decreases elevated blood pressure through actions in the thoracic spinal cord. Reflexes that lower BP likewise are modulated by EA through its actions on sympathetic and parasympathetic nuclei in the medulla. The autonomic influence of acupuncture is slow in onset but prolonged in duration, typically lasting beyond the period of stimulation. Clinical studies suggest that acupuncture can be used to treat cardiac diseases, such as myocardial ischemia and hypertension, associated with overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. PMID:24761168

Biological Sensitivity to Context in Couples: Why Partner Aggression Hurts Some More Than Others

PubMed Central

Lorber, Michael F.; Erlanger, Ann C. Eckardt; Slep, Amy M. Smith

2015-01-01

Objective Cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors was investigated as (a) a moderator of associations of partner aggression with affective functioning, alcohol problems, and parenting, and (b) a consequence of partner aggression. Method Cohabiting adult couples (N = 453) with 3- to 7-year-old children were recruited by random digit dialing and completed questionnaires assessing couple physical aggression, discipline practices, anger, stress, depressive symptoms, and problem alcohol use. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured at rest and in response to laboratory stressors (mental arithmetic and video presentations of family conflict). Results Males’ physical aggression more strongly predicted women’s affective functioning and alcohol problems when the women had greater cardiovascular reactivity. This pattern did not extend to men. Physical victimization was associated with lower cardiovascular reactivity. Conclusions The present results provide partial support for the Biological Sensitivity to Context model of Boyce and Ellis (2005) and suggest that incorporating the moderating influence of biological reactivity may improve the precision of models of the effects of aggression on adult adjustment. PMID:23379267

Quantifying Effects of Pharmacological Blockers of Cardiac Autonomous Control Using Variability Parameters.

PubMed

Miyabara, Renata; Berg, Karsten; Kraemer, Jan F; Baltatu, Ovidiu C; Wessel, Niels; Campos, Luciana A

2017-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the most sensitive heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV and BPV) parameters from a given set of well-known methods for the quantification of cardiovascular autonomic function after several autonomic blockades. Methods: Cardiovascular sympathetic and parasympathetic functions were studied in freely moving rats following peripheral muscarinic (methylatropine), β1-adrenergic (metoprolol), muscarinic + β1-adrenergic, α1-adrenergic (prazosin), and ganglionic (hexamethonium) blockades. Time domain, frequency domain and symbolic dynamics measures for each of HRV and BPV were classified through paired Wilcoxon test for all autonomic drugs separately. In order to select those variables that have a high relevance to, and stable influence on our target measurements (HRV, BPV) we used Fisher's Method to combine the p -value of multiple tests. Results: This analysis led to the following best set of cardiovascular variability parameters: The mean normal beat-to-beat-interval/value (HRV/BPV: meanNN), the coefficient of variation (cvNN = standard deviation over meanNN) and the root mean square differences of successive (RMSSD) of the time domain analysis. In frequency domain analysis the very-low-frequency (VLF) component was selected. From symbolic dynamics Shannon entropy of the word distribution (FWSHANNON) as well as POLVAR3, the non-linear parameter to detect intermittently decreased variability, showed the best ability to discriminate between the different autonomic blockades. Conclusion: Throughout a complex comparative analysis of HRV and BPV measures altered by a set of autonomic drugs, we identified the most sensitive set of informative cardiovascular variability indexes able to pick up the modifications imposed by the autonomic challenges. These indexes may help to increase our understanding of cardiovascular sympathetic and parasympathetic functions in translational studies of experimental diseases.

Clinical factors and the decision to transfuse chronic dialysis patients.

PubMed

Whitman, Cynthia B; Shreay, Sanatan; Gitlin, Matthew; van Oijen, Martijn G H; Spiegel, Brennan M R

2013-11-01

Red blood cell transfusion was previously the principle therapy for anemia in CKD but became less prevalent after the introduction of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. This study used adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis to identify preferences and predictors of transfusion decision-making in CKD. A computerized adaptive choice-based conjoint survey was administered between June and August of 2012 to nephrologists, internists, and hospitalists listed in the American Medical Association Masterfile. The survey quantified the relative importance of 10 patient attributes, including hemoglobin levels, age, occult blood in stool, severity of illness, eligibility for transplant, iron indices, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, cardiovascular disease, and functional status. Triggers of transfusions in common dialysis scenarios were studied, and based on adaptive choice-based conjoint-derived preferences, relative importance by performing multivariable regression to identify predictors of transfusion preferences was assessed. A total of 350 providers completed the survey (n=305 nephrologists; mean age=46 years; 21% women). Of 10 attributes assessed, absolute hemoglobin level was the most important driver of transfusions, accounting for 29% of decision-making, followed by functional status (16%) and cardiovascular comorbidities (12%); 92% of providers transfused when hemoglobin was 7.5 g/dl, independent of other factors. In multivariable regression, Veterans Administration providers were more likely to transfuse at 8.0 g/dl (odds ratio, 5.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.9 to 18.4). Although transplant eligibility explained only 5% of decision-making, nephrologists were five times more likely to value it as important compared with non-nephrologists (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.4 to 11.1). Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis was useful in predicting influences on transfusion decisions. Hemoglobin level, functional status, and cardiovascular comorbidities most strongly influenced transfusion decision-making, but preference variations were observed among subgroups.

Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk.

PubMed

Ehret, Georg B; Munroe, Patricia B; Rice, Kenneth M; Bochud, Murielle; Johnson, Andrew D; Chasman, Daniel I; Smith, Albert V; Tobin, Martin D; Verwoert, Germaine C; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Pihur, Vasyl; Vollenweider, Peter; O'Reilly, Paul F; Amin, Najaf; Bragg-Gresham, Jennifer L; Teumer, Alexander; Glazer, Nicole L; Launer, Lenore; Zhao, Jing Hua; Aulchenko, Yurii; Heath, Simon; Sõber, Siim; Parsa, Afshin; Luan, Jian'an; Arora, Pankaj; Dehghan, Abbas; Zhang, Feng; Lucas, Gavin; Hicks, Andrew A; Jackson, Anne U; Peden, John F; Tanaka, Toshiko; Wild, Sarah H; Rudan, Igor; Igl, Wilmar; Milaneschi, Yuri; Parker, Alex N; Fava, Cristiano; Chambers, John C; Fox, Ervin R; Kumari, Meena; Go, Min Jin; van der Harst, Pim; Kao, Wen Hong Linda; Sjögren, Marketa; Vinay, D G; Alexander, Myriam; Tabara, Yasuharu; Shaw-Hawkins, Sue; Whincup, Peter H; Liu, Yongmei; Shi, Gang; Kuusisto, Johanna; Tayo, Bamidele; Seielstad, Mark; Sim, Xueling; Nguyen, Khanh-Dung Hoang; Lehtimäki, Terho; Matullo, Giuseppe; Wu, Ying; Gaunt, Tom R; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; Cooper, Matthew N; Platou, Carl G P; Org, Elin; Hardy, Rebecca; Dahgam, Santosh; Palmen, Jutta; Vitart, Veronique; Braund, Peter S; Kuznetsova, Tatiana; Uiterwaal, Cuno S P M; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Palmas, Walter; Campbell, Harry; Ludwig, Barbara; Tomaszewski, Maciej; Tzoulaki, Ioanna; Palmer, Nicholette D; Aspelund, Thor; Garcia, Melissa; Chang, Yen-Pei C; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Steinle, Nanette I; Grobbee, Diederick E; Arking, Dan E; Kardia, Sharon L; Morrison, Alanna C; Hernandez, Dena; Najjar, Samer; McArdle, Wendy L; Hadley, David; Brown, Morris J; Connell, John M; Hingorani, Aroon D; Day, Ian N M; Lawlor, Debbie A; Beilby, John P; Lawrence, Robert W; Clarke, Robert; Hopewell, Jemma C; Ongen, Halit; Dreisbach, Albert W; Li, Yali; Young, J Hunter; Bis, Joshua C; Kähönen, Mika; Viikari, Jorma; Adair, Linda S; Lee, Nanette R; Chen, Ming-Huei; Olden, Matthias; Pattaro, Cristian; Bolton, Judith A Hoffman; Köttgen, Anna; Bergmann, Sven; Mooser, Vincent; Chaturvedi, Nish; Frayling, Timothy M; Islam, Muhammad; Jafar, Tazeen H; Erdmann, Jeanette; Kulkarni, Smita R; Bornstein, Stefan R; Grässler, Jürgen; Groop, Leif; Voight, Benjamin F; Kettunen, Johannes; Howard, Philip; Taylor, Andrew; Guarrera, Simonetta; Ricceri, Fulvio; Emilsson, Valur; Plump, Andrew; Barroso, Inês; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Weder, Alan B; Hunt, Steven C; Sun, Yan V; Bergman, Richard N; Collins, Francis S; Bonnycastle, Lori L; Scott, Laura J; Stringham, Heather M; Peltonen, Leena; Perola, Markus; Vartiainen, Erkki; Brand, Stefan-Martin; Staessen, Jan A; Wang, Thomas J; Burton, Paul R; Soler Artigas, Maria; Dong, Yanbin; Snieder, Harold; Wang, Xiaoling; Zhu, Haidong; Lohman, Kurt K; Rudock, Megan E; Heckbert, Susan R; Smith, Nicholas L; Wiggins, Kerri L; Doumatey, Ayo; Shriner, Daniel; Veldre, Gudrun; Viigimaa, Margus; Kinra, Sanjay; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Tripathy, Vikal; Langefeld, Carl D; Rosengren, Annika; Thelle, Dag S; Corsi, Anna Maria; Singleton, Andrew; Forrester, Terrence; Hilton, Gina; McKenzie, Colin A; Salako, Tunde; Iwai, Naoharu; Kita, Yoshikuni; Ogihara, Toshio; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Okamura, Tomonori; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Umemura, Satoshi; Eyheramendy, Susana; Meitinger, Thomas; Wichmann, H-Erich; Cho, Yoon Shin; Kim, Hyung-Lae; Lee, Jong-Young; Scott, James; Sehmi, Joban S; Zhang, Weihua; Hedblad, Bo; Nilsson, Peter; Smith, George Davey; Wong, Andrew; Narisu, Narisu; Stančáková, Alena; Raffel, Leslie J; Yao, Jie; Kathiresan, Sekar; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Schwartz, Stephen M; Ikram, M Arfan; Longstreth, W T; Mosley, Thomas H; Seshadri, Sudha; Shrine, Nick R G; Wain, Louise V; Morken, Mario A; Swift, Amy J; Laitinen, Jaana; Prokopenko, Inga; Zitting, Paavo; Cooper, Jackie A; Humphries, Steve E; Danesh, John; Rasheed, Asif; Goel, Anuj; Hamsten, Anders; Watkins, Hugh; Bakker, Stephan J L; van Gilst, Wiek H; Janipalli, Charles S; Mani, K Radha; Yajnik, Chittaranjan S; Hofman, Albert; Mattace-Raso, Francesco U S; Oostra, Ben A; Demirkan, Ayse; Isaacs, Aaron; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Lakatta, Edward G; Orru, Marco; Scuteri, Angelo; Ala-Korpela, Mika; Kangas, Antti J; Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka; Soininen, Pasi; Tukiainen, Taru; Würtz, Peter; Ong, Rick Twee-Hee; Dörr, Marcus; Kroemer, Heyo K; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge; Lathrop, Mark; Zelenika, Diana; Deloukas, Panos; Mangino, Massimo; Spector, Tim D; Zhai, Guangju; Meschia, James F; Nalls, Michael A; Sharma, Pankaj; Terzic, Janos; Kumar, M V Kranthi; Denniff, Matthew; Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa; Wagenknecht, Lynne E; Fowkes, F Gerald R; Charchar, Fadi J; Schwarz, Peter E H; Hayward, Caroline; Guo, Xiuqing; Rotimi, Charles; Bots, Michiel L; Brand, Eva; Samani, Nilesh J; Polasek, Ozren; Talmud, Philippa J; Nyberg, Fredrik; Kuh, Diana; Laan, Maris; Hveem, Kristian; Palmer, Lyle J; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Casas, Juan P; Mohlke, Karen L; Vineis, Paolo; Raitakari, Olli; Ganesh, Santhi K; Wong, Tien Y; Tai, E Shyong; Cooper, Richard S; Laakso, Markku; Rao, Dabeeru C; Harris, Tamara B; Morris, Richard W; Dominiczak, Anna F; Kivimaki, Mika; Marmot, Michael G; Miki, Tetsuro; Saleheen, Danish; Chandak, Giriraj R; Coresh, Josef; Navis, Gerjan; Salomaa, Veikko; Han, Bok-Ghee; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Kooner, Jaspal S; Melander, Olle; Ridker, Paul M; Bandinelli, Stefania; Gyllensten, Ulf B; Wright, Alan F; Wilson, James F; Ferrucci, Luigi; Farrall, Martin; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Pramstaller, Peter P; Elosua, Roberto; Soranzo, Nicole; Sijbrands, Eric J G; Altshuler, David; Loos, Ruth J F; Shuldiner, Alan R; Gieger, Christian; Meneton, Pierre; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Wareham, Nicholas J; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Rotter, Jerome I; Rettig, Rainer; Uda, Manuela; Strachan, David P; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Beckmann, Jacques S; Boerwinkle, Eric; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Boehnke, Michael; Larson, Martin G; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Psaty, Bruce M; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Elliott, Paul; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Newton-Cheh, Christopher; Levy, Daniel; Caulfield, Mark J; Johnson, Toby

2011-09-11

Blood pressure is a heritable trait influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (≥140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure or  ≥90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This genome-wide association study of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which used a multi-stage design in 200,000 individuals of European descent, identified sixteen novel loci: six of these loci contain genes previously known or suspected to regulate blood pressure (GUCY1A3-GUCY1B3, NPR3-C5orf23, ADM, FURIN-FES, GOSR2, GNAS-EDN3); the other ten provide new clues to blood pressure physiology. A genetic risk score based on 29 genome-wide significant variants was associated with hypertension, left ventricular wall thickness, stroke and coronary artery disease, but not kidney disease or kidney function. We also observed associations with blood pressure in East Asian, South Asian and African ancestry individuals. Our findings provide new insights into the genetics and biology of blood pressure, and suggest potential novel therapeutic pathways for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Marriage and health: his and hers.

PubMed

Kiecolt-Glaser, J K; Newton, T L

2001-07-01

This review focuses on the pathway leading from the marital relationship to physical health. Evidence from 64 articles published in the past decade, particularly marital interaction studies, suggests that marital functioning is consequential for health; negative dimensions of marital functioning have indirect influences on health outcomes through depression and health habits, and direct influences on cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, neurosensory, and other physiological mechanisms. Moreover, individual difference variables such as trait hostility augment the impact of marital processes on biological systems. Emerging themes in the past decade include the importance of differentiating positive and negative dimensions of marital functioning, the explanatory power of behavioral data, and gender differences in the pathways from the marital relationship to physiological functioning. Contemporary models of gender that emphasize self-processes, traits, and roles furnish alternative perspectives on the differential costs and benefits of marriage for men's and women's health.

The Role of High-Density Lipoproteins in Reducing the Risk of Vascular Diseases, Neurogenerative Disorders, and Cancer

PubMed Central

McGrowder, Donovan; Riley, Cliff; Morrison, Errol Y. St. A.; Gordon, Lorenzo

2011-01-01

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is one of the major carriers of cholesterol in the blood. It attracts particular attention because, in contrast with other lipoproteins, as many physiological functions of HDL influence the cardiovascular system in favourable ways unless HDL is modified pathologically. The functions of HDL that have recently attracted attention include anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. High anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of HDL are associated with protection from cardiovascular disease. Atheroprotective activities, as well as a functional deficiency of HDL, ultimately depend on the protein and lipid composition of HDL. Further, numerous epidemiological studies have shown a protective association between HDL-cholesterol and cognitive impairment. Oxidative stress, including lipid peroxidation, has been shown to be the mediator of the pathologic effects of numerous risk factors of Alzheimer's disease. Lifestyle interventions proven to increase HDL- cholesterol levels including “healthy” diet, regular exercise, weight control, and smoking cessation have also been shown to provide neuro-protective effects. This review will focus on current knowledge of the beneficial effects of HDL-cholesterol as it relates to cardiovascular diseases, breast and lung cancers, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as its neuroprotective potential in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. PMID:21490772

The Spleen: A Hub Connecting Nervous and Immune Systems in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

PubMed Central

Lori, Andrea; Perrotta, Marialuisa; Lembo, Giuseppe; Carnevale, Daniela

2017-01-01

Metabolic disorders have been identified as major health problems affecting a large portion of the world population. In addition, obesity and insulin resistance are principal risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Altered immune responses are common features of both hypertension and obesity and, moreover, the involvement of the nervous system in the modulation of immune system is gaining even more attention in both pathophysiological contexts. For these reasons, during the last decades, researches focused their efforts on the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms connecting immune system to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. On the other hand, it has been reported that in these pathological conditions, central neural pathways modulate the activity of the peripheral nervous system, which is strongly involved in onset and progression of the disease. It is interesting to notice that neural reflex can also participate in the modulation of immune functions. In this scenario, the spleen becomes the crucial hub allowing the interaction of different systems differently involved in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Here, we summarize the major findings that dissect the role of the immune system in disorders related to metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunctions, and how this could also be influenced by neural reflexes. PMID:28590409

Antioxidants in Cardiovascular Therapy: Panacea or False Hope?

PubMed Central

Goszcz, Katarzyna; Deakin, Sherine J.; Duthie, Garry G.; Stewart, Derek; Leslie, Stephen J.; Megson, Ian L.

2015-01-01

Oxidative stress is a key feature of the atherothrombotic process involved in the etiology of heart attacks, ischemic strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. It stands to reason that antioxidants represent a credible therapeutic option to prevent disease progression and thereby improve outcome, but despite positive findings from in vitro studies, clinical trials have failed to consistently show benefit. The aim of this review is to re-appraise the concept of antioxidants in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. In particular, the review will explore the reasons behind failed antioxidant strategies with vitamin supplements and will evaluate how flavonoids might improve cardiovascular function despite bioavailability that is not sufficiently high to directly influence antioxidant capacity. As well as reaching conclusions relating to those antioxidant strategies that might hold merit, the major myths, limitations, and pitfalls associated with this research field are explored. PMID:26664900

Emotional dampening in persons with elevated blood pressure: affect dysregulation and risk for hypertension.

PubMed

McCubbin, James A; Loveless, James P; Graham, Jack G; Hall, Gabrielle A; Bart, Ryan M; Moore, DeWayne D; Merritt, Marcellus M; Lane, Richard D; Thayer, Julian F

2014-02-01

Persons with higher blood pressure have emotional dampening in some contexts. This may reflect interactive changes in central nervous system control of affect and autonomic function in the early stages of hypertension development. The purpose of this study is to determine the independence of cardiovascular emotional dampening from alexithymia to better understand the role of affect dysregulation in blood pressure elevations. Ninety-six normotensives were assessed for resting systolic and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, recognition of emotions in faces and sentences using the Perception of Affect Task (PAT), alexithymia, anxiety, and defensiveness. Resting DBP significantly predicted PAT emotion recognition accuracy in men after adjustment for age, self-reported affect, and alexithymia. Cardiovascular emotional dampening is independent of alexithymia and affect in men. Dampened emotion recognition could potentially influence interpersonal communication and psychosocial distress, thereby further contributing to BP dysregulation and increased cardiovascular risk.

[Endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus and possible ways of pharmacological correction].

PubMed

Chernov, Iu N; Krasiukova, V A; Batishcheva, G A; Mubarakshina, O A

2010-02-01

Insulinoresistance (IR) and endothelial dysfunction (ED) take part in forming cardiovascular complications. Hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and compensatory hyperinsulinemia are triggering factors in the development of ED in diabetes mellitus. Hyperactivation of the renin--angiotensin--aldosterone system and increasing influence of the sympathoadrenal system play an important role in the appearance of ED, which is characterized by a decrease in the synthesis of nitric oxide and an increase in the production of vasoconstrictors. At present, drugs used for ED correction only indirectly influence the functioning of endothelial cells. Eight pharmacological groups including more than 30 drugs are reviewed, which are capable of improving the endothelial function. Progress in the pharmacotherapy of ED stimulates the development of approaches to the individual choice of drugs and the directed correction of the functional state of vascular endothelium.

Social identity influences stress appraisals and cardiovascular reactions to acute stress exposure.

PubMed

Gallagher, Stephen; Meaney, Sarah; Muldoon, Orla T

2014-09-01

This study tested a recent theoretical development in stress research to see whether group membership influenced cardiovascular reactions following exposure to acute stress. Participants (N = 104) were exposed to a message in which a maths test was described as stressful or challenging by an ingroup member (a student) or outgroup member (a stress disorder sufferer). Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored throughout a standard reactivity study. As expected, a significant interaction was found; relative to those who were told that the task was challenging, ingroup members reported more stress and had higher DBP and HR reactivity when told by an ingroup member that the maths task was stressful; task information did not have the same effect for outgroup members. These results indicate that informational support is not constant but varies as a function of group membership. Finally, this recent development in stress research may prove useful for those interested in investigating the interactions between social, psychological and physiological processes underlying health disparities. What is already known on this subject? Stress is a common risk factor for hypertension and coronary heart disease. Social support has been found to reduce cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress. The influence of social support on stress varies as a consequence of social identity. What does this study add? The social group that one belongs to influences how one appraises and responds to stress. Social identity provides a useful framework for understanding how social processes are associated with health disparities. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Influence of Aerobic Training and Combinations of Interventions on Cognition and Neuroplasticity after Stroke

PubMed Central

Constans, Annabelle; Pin-barre, Caroline; Temprado, Jean-Jacques; Decherchi, Patrick; Laurin, Jérôme

2016-01-01

Stroke often aggravated age-related cognitive impairments that strongly affect several aspects of quality of life. However, few studies are, to date, focused on rehabilitation strategies that could improve cognition. Among possible interventions, aerobic training is well known to enhance cardiovascular and motor functions but may also induce beneficial effects on cognitive functions. To assess the effectiveness of aerobic training on cognition, it seems necessary to know whether training promotes the neuroplasticity in brain areas involved in cognitive functions. In the present review, we first explore in both human and animal how aerobic training could improve cognition after stroke by highlighting the neuroplasticity mechanisms. Then, we address the potential effect of combinations between aerobic training with other interventions, including resistance exercises and pharmacological treatments. In addition, we postulate that classic recommendations for aerobic training need to be reconsidered to target both cognition and motor recovery because the current guidelines are only focused on cardiovascular and motor recovery. Finally, methodological limitations of training programs and cognitive function assessment are also developed in this review to clarify their effectiveness in stroke patients. PMID:27445801

Effects of hypocaloric diets with different glycemic indexes on endothelial function and glycemic variability in overweight and in obese adult patients at increased cardiovascular risk.

PubMed

Buscemi, Silvio; Cosentino, Loretta; Rosafio, Giuseppe; Morgana, Manuela; Mattina, Alessandro; Sprini, Delia; Verga, Salvatore; Rini, Giovam Battista

2013-06-01

The role of glycemic index of the diet in glucose control and cardiovascular prevention is still not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hypocaloric diets with different glycemic indexes and glycemic loads on endothelial function and glycemic variability in nondiabetic participants at increased cardiovascular risk. Forty nondiabetic obese participants were randomly assigned to a three-month treatment with either a low glycemic index (LGI; n=19) or high glycemic index (HGI; n=21) hypocaloric diet with similar macronutrient and fiber content. Endothelial function was measured as flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery before and after dieting. In addition, 48-h continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring was done before and after dieting in a subgroup of 24 participants. The amount of weight loss after dieting was similar in both groups. The glycemic index of the diet significantly influenced the FMD (P<0.005). In particular, the change of FMD was 2.3±2.6% following the LGI diet, and -0.9±3.6% after the HGI diet (P<0.005). The mean 48-h glycemia decreased significantly after dietary treatment (P<0.05), but no significant effect of the glycemic index of the diet on results was observed. The glycemic index of the diet significantly influenced the 48-h glycemic variability measured as coefficient of variability (CV%; P<0.001). The CV% decreased after the LGI diet (from 23.5 to 20.0%) and increased after the HGI diet (from 23.6 to 26.6%). The change in percentage of FMD was inversely correlated with the change in the 48-h glycemic CV% (r=-0.45; P<0.05). Endothelial function and glycemic variability ameliorate in association with the adherence to an LGI hypocaloric diet in nondiabetic obese persons. ISRCTN56834511. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

A Review on Atherosclerotic Biology, Wall Stiffness, Physics of Elasticity, and Its Ultrasound-Based Measurement.

PubMed

Patel, Anoop K; Suri, Harman S; Singh, Jaskaran; Kumar, Dinesh; Shafique, Shoaib; Nicolaides, Andrew; Jain, Sanjay K; Saba, Luca; Gupta, Ajay; Laird, John R; Giannopoulos, Argiris; Suri, Jasjit S

2016-12-01

Functional and structural changes in the common carotid artery are biomarkers for cardiovascular risk. Current methods for measuring functional changes include pulse wave velocity, compliance, distensibility, strain, stress, stiffness, and elasticity derived from arterial waveforms. The review is focused on the ultrasound-based carotid artery elasticity and stiffness measurements covering the physics of elasticity and linking it to biological evolution of arterial stiffness. The paper also presents evolution of plaque with a focus on the pathophysiologic cascade leading to arterial hardening. Using the concept of strain, and image-based elasticity, the paper then reviews the lumen diameter and carotid intima-media thickness measurements in combined temporal and spatial domains. Finally, the review presents the factors which influence the understanding of atherosclerotic disease formation and cardiovascular risk including arterial stiffness, tissue morphological characteristics, and image-based elasticity measurement.

Selenistasis: Epistatic Effects of Selenium on Cardiovascular Phenotype

PubMed Central

Joseph, Jacob; Loscalzo, Joseph

2013-01-01

Although selenium metabolism is intricately linked to cardiovascular biology and function, and deficiency of selenium is associated with cardiac pathology, utilization of selenium in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease remains an elusive goal. From a reductionist standpoint, the major function of selenium in vivo is antioxidant defense via its incorporation as selenocysteine into enzyme families such as glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases. In addition, selenium compounds are heterogeneous and have complex metabolic fates resulting in effects that are not entirely dependent on selenoprotein expression. This complex biology of selenium in vivo may underlie the fact that beneficial effects of selenium supplementation demonstrated in preclinical studies using models of oxidant stress-induced cardiovascular dysfunction, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury and myocardial infarction, have not been consistently observed in clinical trials. In fact, recent studies have yielded data that suggest that unselective supplementation of selenium may, indeed, be harmful. Interesting biologic actions of selenium are its simultaneous effects on redox balance and methylation status, a combination that may influence gene expression. These combined actions may explain some of the biphasic effects seen with low and high doses of selenium, the potentially harmful effects seen in normal individuals, and the beneficial effects noted in preclinical studies of disease. Given the complexity of selenium biology, systems biology approaches may be necessary to reach the goal of optimization of selenium status to promote health and prevent disease. PMID:23434902

Promethazine affects autonomic cardiovascular mechanisms minimally

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, T. E.; Eckberg, D. L.

1997-01-01

Promethazine hydrochloride, Phenergan, is a phenothiazine derivative with antihistaminic (H1), sedative, antiemetic, anticholinergic, and antimotion sickness properties. These properties have made promethazine a candidate for use in environments such as microgravity, which provoke emesis and motion sickness. Recently, we evaluated carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex responses during two Space Shuttle missions 18 to 20 hr after the 50 mg intramuscular administration of promethazine. Because the effects of promethazine on autonomic cardiovascular mechanisms in general and baroreflex function in particular were not known, we were unable to exclude a possible influence of promethazine on our results. Our purpose was to determine the ground-based effects of promethazine on autonomic cardiovascular control. Because of promethazine's antihistaminic and anticholinergic properties, we expected that a 50-mg intramuscular injection of promethazine would affect sympathetically and vagally mediated cardiovascular mechanisms. Eight healthy young subjects, five men and three women, were studied at rest in recumbency. All reported drowsiness as a result of the promethazine injection; most also reported nervous excitation, dry mouth, and fatigue. Three subjects had significant reactions: two reported excessive anxiety and one reported dizziness. Measurements were performed immediately prior to injection and 3.1 +/- 0.1 and 19.5 +/- 0.4 hr postinjection. We found no significant effect of promethazine on resting mean R-R interval, arterial pressure, R-R interval power spectra, carotid baroreflex function, and venous plasma catecholamine levels.

A randomized study of coconut oil versus sunflower oil on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with stable coronary heart disease.

PubMed

Vijayakumar, Maniyal; Vasudevan, D M; Sundaram, K R; Krishnan, Sajitha; Vaidyanathan, Kannan; Nandakumar, Sandya; Chandrasekhar, Rajiv; Mathew, Navin

2016-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its pathological atherosclerotic process are closely related to lipids. Lipids levels are in turn influenced by dietary oils and fats. Saturated fatty acids increase the risk for atherosclerosis by increasing the cholesterol level. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of cooking oil media (coconut oil and sunflower oil) on lipid profile, antioxidant mechanism, and endothelial function in patients with established CAD. In a single center randomized study in India, patients with stable CAD on standard medical care were assigned to receive coconut oil (Group I) or sunflower oil (Group II) as cooking media for 2 years. Anthropometric measurements, serum, lipids, Lipoprotein a, apo B/A-1 ratio, antioxidants, flow-mediated vasodilation, and cardiovascular events were assessed at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Hundred patients in each arm completed 2 years with 98% follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference in the anthropometric, biochemical, vascular function, and in cardiovascular events after 2 years. Coconut oil even though rich in saturated fatty acids in comparison to sunflower oil when used as cooking oil media over a period of 2 years did not change the lipid-related cardiovascular risk factors and events in those receiving standard medical care. Copyright © 2015 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neonatal hyperleptinaemia programmes adrenal medullary function in adult rats: effects on cardiovascular parameters

PubMed Central

Trevenzoli, I H; Valle, M M R; Machado, F B; Garcia, R M G; Passos, M C F; Lisboa, P C; Moura, E G

2007-01-01

Epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between stressful events (nutritional, hormonal or environmental) in early life and development of adult diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular failure. It is known that gestation and lactation are crucial periods for healthy growth in mammals and that the sympathoadrenal system is markedly influenced by environmental conditions during these periods. We previously demonstrated that neonatal hyperleptinaemia in rats programmes higher body weight, higher food intake and hypothalamic leptin resistance in adulthood. Using this model of programming, we investigated adrenal medullary function and effects on cardiovascular parameters in male rats in adulthood. Leptin treatment during the first 10 days of lactation (8μg 100 g−1 day−1, s.c.) resulted in lower body weight (6.5%, P < 0.05), hyperleptinaemia (10-fold, P < 0.05) and higher catecholamine content in adrenal glands (18.5%, P < 0.05) on the last day of treatment. In adulthood (150 days), the rats presented higher body weight (5%, P < 0.05), adrenal catecholamine content (3-fold, P < 0.05), tyrosine hydroxylase expression (35%, P < 0.05) and basal and caffeine-stimulated catecholamine release (53% and 100%, respectively, P < 0.05). Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were also higher in adult rats (7% and 6%, respectively, P < 0.05). Our results show that hyperleptinaemia in early life increases adrenal medullary function in adulthood and that this may alter cardiovascular parameters. Thus, we suggest that imprinting factors which increase leptin and catecholamine levels during the neonatal period could be involved in development of adult chronic diseases. PMID:17218354

[Influence of a low-calorie diet with inclusion of probiotic product containing bacterias Lactobacillus plantarum Tensia DSM 21380 on clinical and metabolic characteristics in patients with obesity and arterial hypertension].

PubMed

Sharafetdinov, Kh Kh; Plotnikova, O A; Alekseeva, R I; Sentsova, T B; Kaganov, B S

2012-01-01

In a number of studies it is shown that regular use of the probiotic products containing Lactobacillus plantarum Tensia DSM 21380 in complex dietary treatment, not only modulates intestinal microflora, but also has a positive influence on a functional condition of cardiovascular system including levelels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The aim of this research was to study the influence of dietotherapy with inclusion of the probiotic product containing Lactobacillus plantarum Tensia DSM 21380, on clinical and metabolic characteristics in patients with obesity and accompanying arterial hypertension (AH).

Local Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Systems and Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

De Mello, Walmor C

2017-01-01

The presence of local renin angiotensin aldosterone systems (RAAS) in the cardiovascular and renal tissues and their influence in cardiovascular and renal diseases are described. The fundamental role of ACE/Ang II/AT1 receptor axis activation as well the counterregulatory role of ACE2/Ang (1-7)/Mas receptor activation on cardiovascular and renal physiology and pathology are emphasized. The presence of a local RAS and its influence on hypertension is discussed, and finally, the hypothesis that epigenetic factors change the RAAS in utero and induce the expression of renin or Ang II inside the cells of the cardiovascular system is presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Androgen actions on endothelium functions and cardiovascular diseases

PubMed Central

Cai, Jing-Jing; Wen, Juan; Jiang, Wei-Hong; Lin, Jian; Hong, Yuan; Zhu, Yuan-Shan

2016-01-01

The roles of androgens on cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology are controversial as both beneficial and detrimental effects have been reported. Although the reasons for this discrepancy are unclear, multiple factors such as genetic and epigenetic variation, sex-specificity, hormone interactions, drug preparation and route of administration may contribute. Recently, growing evidence suggests that androgens exhibit beneficial effects on cardiovascular function though the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Endothelial cells (ECs) which line the interior surface of blood vessels are distributed throughout the circulatory system, and play a crucial role in cardiovascular function. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are considered an indispensable element for the reconstitution and maintenance of an intact endothelial layer. Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as an initiating step in development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The modulation of endothelial functions by androgens through either genomic or nongenomic signal pathways is one possible mechanism by which androgens act on the cardiovascular system. Obtaining insight into the mechanisms by which androgens affect EC and EPC functions will allow us to determine whether androgens possess beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. This in turn may be critical in the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. This article seeks to review recent progress in androgen regulation of endothelial function, the sex-specificity of androgen actions, and its clinical applications in the cardiovascular system. PMID:27168746

Endothelial microparticles: Pathogenic or passive players in endothelial dysfunction in autoimmune rheumatic diseases?

PubMed

McCarthy, E M; Wilkinson, F L; Parker, B; Alexander, M Y

2016-11-01

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases are characterised by systemic inflammation and complex immunopathology, with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, initiated by endothelial dysfunction in a chronic inflammatory environment. Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are released into the circulation from activated endothelial cells and may therefore, reflect disease severity, vascular and endothelial dysfunction, that could influence disease pathogenesis via autocrine/paracrine signalling. The exact function of EMPs in rheumatic disease remains unknown, and this has initiated research to elucidate EMP composition and function, which may be determined by the mode of endothelial activation and the micro environment. To date, EMPs are thought to play a role in angiogenesis, thrombosis and inflammation by transferring specific proteins and microRNAs (miRs) to target cells. Here, we review the mechanisms underlying the generation and composition of EMPs and the clinical and experimental studies describing the involvement of EMPs in rheumatic diseases, since we have previously shown endothelial dysfunction and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease are characteristics in systemic lupus erythematosus. We will also discuss the potential of EMPs as future biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in these diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The joint influence of emotional reactivity and social interaction quality on cardiovascular responses to daily social interactions in working adults.

PubMed

Cornelius, Talea; Birk, Jeffrey L; Edmondson, Donald; Schwartz, Joseph E

2018-05-01

Social interaction quality is related to cardiovascular functioning. Trait emotional reactivity may amplify cardiovascular responses to social interactions, but is often examined as a tendency to react to negative events. We took a broader approach by examining the joint effects of positive and negative emotional reactivity and social interaction quality on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR) responses to daily social interactions. Participants were part of a larger study on BP and cardiovascular health (N = 805; M Age  = 45.3; 40.1% male). Participants completed a measure of emotional reactivity (BIS/BAS) and 24-hour ABP monitoring accompanied by ecological momentary assessments (EMA) about just-experienced social interactions and their pleasantness. Multilevel models tested the associations of emotional reactivity, average pleasantness, and momentary pleasantness with BP and HR. Participants who reported more pleasant interactions on average had lower BP (systolic BP: B = -0.51 mmHg; diastolic BP: B = -0.46 mmHg). These effects did not depend on emotional reactivity. The effect of momentary pleasantness depended on BIS/BAS; in less reactive participants, greater pleasantness was associated with lower HR, B = -0.13 bpm; in more reactive participants, greater pleasantness was associated with increased HR, B = 0.16). Participants who had more pleasant social interactions throughout the day had lower mean ABP. The acute effect of a given social interaction on HR depended on emotional reactivity: HR increased for participants high in emotional reactivity during pleasant interactions. Thus, emotional reactivity may influence cardiovascular responses to social stimuli. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Re-evaluating the functional landscape of the cardiovascular system during development

PubMed Central

Takada, Norio; Omae, Madoka; Sagawa, Fumihiko; Chi, Neil C.; Endo, Satsuki; Kozawa, Satoshi

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The cardiovascular system facilitates body-wide distribution of oxygen, a vital process for the development and survival of virtually all vertebrates. However, the zebrafish, a vertebrate model organism, appears to form organs and survive mid-larval periods without a functional cardiovascular system. Despite such dispensability, it is the first organ to develop. Such enigma prompted us to hypothesize other cardiovascular functions that are important for developmental and/or physiological processes. Hence, systematic cellular ablations and functional perturbations were performed on the zebrafish cardiovascular system to gain comprehensive and body-wide understanding of such functions and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This approach identifies a set of organ-specific genes, each implicated for important functions. The study also unveils distinct cardiovascular mechanisms, each differentially regulating their expressions in organ-specific and oxygen-independent manners. Such mechanisms are mediated by organ-vessel interactions, circulation-dependent signals, and circulation-independent beating-heart-derived signals. A comprehensive and body-wide functional landscape of the cardiovascular system reported herein may provide clues as to why it is the first organ to develop. Furthermore, these data could serve as a resource for the study of organ development and function. PMID:28982700

Re-evaluating the functional landscape of the cardiovascular system during development.

PubMed

Takada, Norio; Omae, Madoka; Sagawa, Fumihiko; Chi, Neil C; Endo, Satsuki; Kozawa, Satoshi; Sato, Thomas N

2017-11-15

The cardiovascular system facilitates body-wide distribution of oxygen, a vital process for the development and survival of virtually all vertebrates. However, the zebrafish, a vertebrate model organism, appears to form organs and survive mid-larval periods without a functional cardiovascular system. Despite such dispensability, it is the first organ to develop. Such enigma prompted us to hypothesize other cardiovascular functions that are important for developmental and/or physiological processes. Hence, systematic cellular ablations and functional perturbations were performed on the zebrafish cardiovascular system to gain comprehensive and body-wide understanding of such functions and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This approach identifies a set of organ-specific genes, each implicated for important functions. The study also unveils distinct cardiovascular mechanisms, each differentially regulating their expressions in organ-specific and oxygen-independent manners. Such mechanisms are mediated by organ-vessel interactions, circulation-dependent signals, and circulation-independent beating-heart-derived signals. A comprehensive and body-wide functional landscape of the cardiovascular system reported herein may provide clues as to why it is the first organ to develop. Furthermore, these data could serve as a resource for the study of organ development and function. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Cardiovascular function in space flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicogossian, A. E.; Charles, J. B.; Bungo, M. W.; Leach-Huntoon, C. S.

1990-01-01

Postflight orthostatic intolerance and cardiac hemodynamics associated with manned space flight have been investigated on seven STS missions. Orthostatic heart rates appear to be influenced by the mission duration. The rates increase during the first 7-10 days of flight and recover partially after that. Fluid loading is used as a countermeasure to the postflight orthostatic intolerance. The carotid baroreceptor function shows only slight responsiveness to orthostatic stimulation. Plots of the baroreceptor function are presented. It is concluded that an early adaptation to the space flight conditions involves a fluid shift and that the subsequent alterations in the neutral controlling mechanisms contribute to the orthoststic intolerance.

Cardiovascular Deconditioning in Humans: Human Studies Core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Gordon

1999-01-01

Major cardiovascular problems, secondary to cardiovascular deconditioning, may occur on extended space missions. While it is generally assumed that the microgravity state is the primary cause of cardiovascular deconditioning, sleep deprivation and disruption of diurnal rhythms may also play an important role. Factors that could be modified by either or both of these perturbations include: autonomic function and short-term cardiovascular reflexes, vasoreactivity, circadian rhythm of cardiovascular hormones (specifically the renin-angiotensin system) and renal sodium handling and hormonal influences on that process, venous compliance, cardiac mass, and cardiac conduction processes. The purpose of the Human Studies Core is to provide the infrastructure to conduct human experiments which will allow for the assessment of the likely role of such factors in the space travel associated cardiovascular deconditioning process and to develop appropriate countermeasures. The Core takes advantage of a newly-created Intensive Physiologic Monitoring (IPM) Unit at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, to perform these studies. The Core includes two general experimental protocols. The first protocol involves a head down tilt bed-rest study to simulate microgravity. The second protocol includes the addition of a disruption of circadian rhythms to the simulated microgravity environment. Before and after each of these environmental manipulations, the subjects will undergo acute stressors simulating changes in volume and/or stress, which could occur in space and on return to Earth. The subjects are maintained in a rigidly controlled environment with fixed light/dark cycles, activity pattern, and dietary intake of nutrients, fluids, ions and calories.

Trait anxiety mimics age-related cardiovascular autonomic modulation in young adults.

PubMed

Sanchez-Gonzalez, M A; Guzik, P; May, R W; Koutnik, A P; Hughes, R; Muniz, S; Kabbaj, M; Fincham, F D

2015-04-01

Anxiety produces maladaptive cardiovascular changes and accelerates biological aging. We evaluated cardiovascular reactivity in young and middle-aged individuals with varying anxiety scores to test the hypothesis that anxiety mimics cardiovascular aging by influencing cardiovascular autonomic modulation. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to classify healthy young individuals (20-29 years) into high (YHA, n=22;10 men) and low (YLA, n=21;10 men) anxiety, and to identify middle-aged individuals (50-60 years) with low anxiety (MLA, n=22;11 men). Heart rate, blood pressure (BP) and their variability (HRV and BPV, respectively) and baroreflex function were analyzed from beat-to-beat finger BP and electrocardiogram recordings collected during 5-min baseline, 6-min speech task (ST) and 3-min post ST recovery. Analyses of covariance showed significant differences (P<0.05) at baseline for HRV, BPV and barorelfex, and low-frequency power of systolic BP variability (LFSBP) was lower, whereas baroreflex and high frequency (HF) normalized units were higher in the YLA compared with YHA and MLA groups. Compared with YLA, YHA and MLA displayed attenuated vagal withdraw response (HF) to ST. BP and LFSBP responses to ST in YHA and MLA were higher compared with the YLA group. These findings suggest that anxiety could be linked to cardiovascular aging as it attenuates cardiac reactivity and exaggerates vascular responses to stress.

[Sexuality, heart and chocolate].

PubMed

Bianchi-Demicheli, F; Sekoranja, L; Pechère-Bertschi, A

2013-03-20

All along the history, many kinds of magic and aphrodisiac properties were attributed to the chocolate. Because of the presence of certain active substances, cacao and chocolate are supposed to have some potentially beneficial effects on human health, particularly on cardiovascular system. Containing flavoniods, cacao and its products have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, anti-thrombotic, antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects, as well as influence on insulin sensitivity, vascular endothelial function, and activation of nitric oxide. Other molecules, like methyxantin, biogenic amines and cannabinoid-like fatty acids, may have a psychoactive action. Synergic effect of all these substances could have a positive direct and indirect influence on sexual health and function. Nevertheless, randomized studies are needed to confirm these hypotheses and to elaborate recommendations about cacao consumption.

Amino Acids That Centrally Influence Blood Pressure and Regional Blood Flow in Conscious Rats

PubMed Central

Takemoto, Yumi

2012-01-01

Functional roles of amino acids have increasingly become the focus of research. This paper summarizes amino acids that influence cardiovascular system via the brain of conscious rats. This paper firstly describes why amino acids are selected and outlines how the brain regulates blood pressure and regional blood flow. This section includes a concise history of amino acid neurotransmitters in cardiovascular research and summarizes brain areas where chemical stimulations produce blood pressure changes mainly in anesthetized animals. This is followed by comments about findings regarding several newly examined amino acids with intracisternal stimulation in conscious rats that produce changes in blood pressure. The same pressor or depressor response to central amino acid stimulations can be produced by distinct mechanisms at central and peripheral levels, which will be briefly explained. Thereafter, cardiovascular actions of some of amino acids at the mechanism level will be discussed based upon findings of pharmacological and regional blood flow measurements. Several examined amino acids in addition to the established neurotransmitter amino acids appear to differentially activate brain structures to produce changes in blood pressure and regional blood flows. They may have physiological roles in the healthy brain, but pathological roles in the brain with cerebral vascular diseases such as stroke where the blood-brain barrier is broken. PMID:22690328

Relations of mitochondrial genetic variants to measures of vascular function.

PubMed

Fetterman, Jessica L; Liu, Chunyu; Mitchell, Gary F; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Benjamin, Emelia J; Vita, Joseph A; Hamburg, Naomi M; Levy, Daniel

2018-05-01

Mitochondrial genetic variation with resultant alterations in oxidative phosphorylation may influence vascular function and contribute to cardiovascular disease susceptibility. We assessed relations of peptide-encoding variants in the mitochondrial genome with measures of vascular function in Framingham Heart Study participants. Of 258 variants assessed, 40 were predicted to have functional consequences by bioinformatics programs. A maternal pattern of heritability was estimated to contribute to the variability of aortic stiffness. A putative association with a microvascular function measure was identified that requires replication. The methods we have developed can be applied to assess the relations of mitochondrial genetic variation to other phenotypes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Combined short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training improves cardiovascular function and physical working capacity in humans.

PubMed

Yang, Chang-Bin; Zhang, Shu; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Bing; Yao, Yong-Jie; Wang, Yong-Chun; Wu, Yan-Hong; Liang, Wen-Bin; Sun, Xi-Qing

2010-12-01

Musculoskeletal and cardiovascular deconditioning occurring in long-term spaceflight gives rise to the needs to develop new strategies to counteract these adverse effects. Short-arm centrifuge combined with ergometer has been proposed as a strategy to counteract adverse effects of microgravity. This study sought to investigate whether the combination of short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training have advantages over short-arm centrifuge or aerobic exercise training alone. One week training was conducted by 24 healthy men. They were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) short-arm centrifuge training, (2) aerobic exercise training, 40 W, and (3) combined short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training. Before and after training, the cardiac pump function represented by stroke volume, cardiac output, left ventricular ejection time, and total peripheral resistance was evaluated. Variability of heart rate and systolic blood pressure were determined by spectral analysis. Physical working capacity was surveyed by near maximal physical working capacity test. The 1-week combined short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training remarkably ameliorated the cardiac pump function and enhanced vasomotor sympathetic nerve modulation and improved physical working capacity by 10.9% (P<.05, n=8). In contrast, neither the short-arm centrifuge nor the aerobic exercise group showed improvements in these functions. These results demonstrate that combined short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training has advantages over short-arm centrifuge or aerobic exercise training alone in influencing several physiologically important cardiovascular functions in humans. The combination of short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise offers a promising countermeasure to microgravity.

Longitudinal and transverse right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension: cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study from the ASPIRE registry

PubMed Central

Rajaram, Smitha; Capener, Dave; Elliot, Charlie; Condliffe, Robin; Wild, Jim M.; Kiely, David G.

2015-01-01

Abstract Right ventricular (RV) function is a strong predictor of outcome in cardiovascular diseases. Two components of RV function, longitudinal and transverse motion, have been investigated in pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, their individual clinical significance remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with transverse and longitudinal RV motion in patients with PH. In 149 treatment-naive patients with PH and 16 patients with suspected PH found to have mean pulmonary arterial pressure of <20 mmHg, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 24 hours of right heart catheterization. In patients with PH, fractional longitudinal motion (fractional tricuspid annulus to apex distance [f-TAAD]) was significantly greater than fractional transverse motion (fractional septum to free wall distance [f-SFD]; P = 0.002). In patients without PH, no significant difference between f-SFD and f-TAAD was identified (P = 0.442). Longitudinal RV motion was singularly associated with RV ejection fraction independent of age, invasive hemodynamics, and cardiac magnetic resonance measurements (P = 0.024). In contrast, transverse RV motion was independently associated with left ventricular eccentricity (P = 0.036) in addition to RV ejection fraction (P = 0.014). In conclusion, RV motion is significantly greater in the longitudinal direction in patients with PH, whereas patients without PH have equal contributions of transverse and longitudinal motion. Longitudinal RV motion is primarily associated with global RV pump function in PH. Transverse RV motion not only reflects global pump function but is independently influenced by ventricular interaction in patients with PH. PMID:26401257

Longitudinal and transverse right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension: cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study from the ASPIRE registry.

PubMed

Swift, Andrew J; Rajaram, Smitha; Capener, Dave; Elliot, Charlie; Condliffe, Robin; Wild, Jim M; Kiely, David G

2015-09-01

Right ventricular (RV) function is a strong predictor of outcome in cardiovascular diseases. Two components of RV function, longitudinal and transverse motion, have been investigated in pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, their individual clinical significance remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with transverse and longitudinal RV motion in patients with PH. In 149 treatment-naive patients with PH and 16 patients with suspected PH found to have mean pulmonary arterial pressure of <20 mmHg, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 24 hours of right heart catheterization. In patients with PH, fractional longitudinal motion (fractional tricuspid annulus to apex distance [f-TAAD]) was significantly greater than fractional transverse motion (fractional septum to free wall distance [f-SFD]; P = 0.002). In patients without PH, no significant difference between f-SFD and f-TAAD was identified (P = 0.442). Longitudinal RV motion was singularly associated with RV ejection fraction independent of age, invasive hemodynamics, and cardiac magnetic resonance measurements (P = 0.024). In contrast, transverse RV motion was independently associated with left ventricular eccentricity (P = 0.036) in addition to RV ejection fraction (P = 0.014). In conclusion, RV motion is significantly greater in the longitudinal direction in patients with PH, whereas patients without PH have equal contributions of transverse and longitudinal motion. Longitudinal RV motion is primarily associated with global RV pump function in PH. Transverse RV motion not only reflects global pump function but is independently influenced by ventricular interaction in patients with PH.

Platelets, diabetes and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

PubMed

Russo, Isabella; Penna, Claudia; Musso, Tiziana; Popara, Jasmin; Alloatti, Giuseppe; Cavalot, Franco; Pagliaro, Pasquale

2017-05-31

Mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion injury are particularly complex, multifactorial and highly interconnected. A complex and entangled interaction is also emerging between platelet function, antiplatelet drugs, coronary diseases and ischemia/reperfusion injury, especially in diabetic conditions. Here we briefly summarize features of antiplatelet therapy in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We also treat the influence of T2DM on ischemia/reperfusion injury and how anti-platelet therapies affect post-ischemic myocardial damage through pleiotropic properties not related to their anti-aggregating effects. miRNA-based signature associated with T2DM and its cardiovascular disease complications are also briefly considered. Influence of anti-platelet therapies and different effects of healthy and diabetic platelets on ischemia/reperfusion injury need to be further clarified in order to enhance patient benefits from antiplatelet therapy and revascularization. Here we provide insight on the difficulty to reduce the cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients and report novel information on the cardioprotective role of widely used anti-aggregant drugs.

Thyroid and the Heart

PubMed Central

Grais, Ira Martin; Sowers, James R.

2015-01-01

Thyroid hormones modulate every component of the cardiovascular system necessary for normal cardiovascular development and function. When cardiovascular disease is present, thyroid function tests are characteristically indicated to determine if overt thyroid disorders or even subclinical dysfunction exists. As hypothyroidism, hypertension and cardiovascular disease all increase with advancing age monitoring of TSH, the most sensitive test for hypothyroidism, is important in this expanding segment of our population. A better understanding of the impact of thyroid hormonal status on cardiovascular physiology will enable health care providers to make decisions regarding thyroid hormone evaluation and therapy in concert with evaluating and treating hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The goal of this review is to access contemporary understanding of the effects of thyroid hormones on normal cardiovascular function and the potential role of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in a variety of cardiovascular diseases. PMID:24662620

Appraisals and impression management opportunities: person and situation influences on cardiovascular reactivity.

PubMed

Heffner, Kathi L; Ginsburg, G P; Hartley, Terry R

2002-05-01

This study examined how threat and coping appraisals and impression management opportunities influenced cardiovascular reactivity within a self-presentation context. Participants were videotaped performing a speech that they believed might be evaluated. Participants' physiological responses were recorded 1 week later while: (a) watching their speech, indicating which portions they wished to re-shoot before it was evaluated,;(b) simply watching their speech; or (c) watching an architectural videotape and indicating which portions should be reshot, and also watching their own speech, but without evaluation concerns. Cardiovascular reactivity was influenced by the presence or absence of the impression management opportunity, but more variance in reactivity was explained when participants' threat and coping appraisals were also taken into account. The specific cardiovascular responses pertinent to goal-relevant action within each condition were the only responses related to appraisals. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both the situation and the state of the individual in that situation when attempting to understand social psychological influences on physiological reactivity.

Cardiovascular functioning, personality, and the social world: the domain of hierarchical power.

PubMed

Newton, Tamara L

2009-02-01

The present paper considers connections between cardiovascular functioning (i.e., disease status and acute stress responses) and social dominance, and its counterpart, social submissiveness, both of which are part of the broader domain of "hierarchical power" [Bugental, D.B., 2000. Acquisition of the algorithms of social life: a domain-based approach. Psychological Bulletin 126, 187-219]. Empirical research on connections between dominance/submissiveness and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in humans is reviewed, as is research on dominance/submissiveness and cardiovascular reactivity to, and recovery from, acute stressors. Three general conclusions are established. First, in both cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations, trait and behavioral indicators of dominance have been positively associated with cardiovascular disease severity, incidence, and progression, whereas preliminary evidence from two studies suggests that trait submissiveness may protect against poorer disease outcomes. Second, among men and women, trait dominance is associated with reactivity to and recovery from acute stressors, particularly social challenges. Third, linkages between dominance/submissiveness and cardiovascular functioning, especially cardiovascular reactivity, are characterized by gender-specific patterning, and this patterning emerges as a function of social context. Implications for the next generation of research concerning social dominance, gender, and cardiovascular functioning are discussed.

Are women with polycystic ovary syndrome at increased cardiovascular disease risk later in life?

PubMed

Gunning, M N; Fauser, B C J M

2017-06-01

To date, the world's leading cause of death amongst women is cardiovascular disease. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an unfavorable cardiometabolic profile in early life. Apart from dyslipidemia, obesity and onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus, androgens are thought to influence cardiovascular health. The question rises whether women with PCOS are truly at risk for cardiovascular disease in later life. In this review paper, we aim to reflect on this assumed relation based on studies in different stages of life in women with PCOS. Cardiovascular risk factors (type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome), surrogate outcomes (flow-mediated dilation, carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery calcium) and clinical long-term outcomes (cardiovascular disease and mortality) will be summarized. Data on cardiovascular disease and mortality in peri- and postmenopausal women with PCOS appear to be controversial. Whether androgens have a protective or unfavorable influence on the manifestation of cardiovascular disease remains uncertain. The need for large, prospective, well-phenotyped cohort studies of women with PCOS is high. Only then will we be able to answer this research question.

Reduction of cardiovascular risk after preeclampsia: the role of framing and perceived probability in modifying behavior.

PubMed

Bokslag, Anouk; Hermes, Wietske; de Groot, Christianne J M; Teunissen, Pim W

2016-11-01

To reduce cardiovascular risk after preeclampsia, we investigated the effect of framing, the perceived probability and its interaction, on the willingness to modify behavior. Participants scored their willingness to modify behavior on two cases with different probabilities of developing cardiovascular disease. Both cases were either presented as "chance of health" or "risk of disease". 165 questionnaires were analyzed. ANOVA revealed a significant effect of probability, non-significant effect of framing and a non-significant interaction between probability and framing. Perceived probability influences willingness to modify behavior to reduce cardiovascular risk after preeclampsia; framing and the interaction was not of influence.

Caffeine and central noradrenaline: effects on mood, cognitive performance, eye movements and cardiovascular function.

PubMed

Smith, Andrew; Brice, Carolyn; Nash, Jon; Rich, Neil; Nutt, David J

2003-09-01

There have been numerous studies on the effects of caffeine on behaviour and cardiovascular function. It is now important to clarify the mechanisms that underlie such effects, and the main objective of the present study was to investigate whether changes in central noradrenaline underlie some of the behavioural and cardiovascular effects of caffeine. This was examined using a clonidine challenge paradigm. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were assigned to one of four conditions: (i) clonidine/caffeine; (ii) clonidine/placebo; (iii) placebo/caffeine: (iv) placebo/placebo. Baseline measurements of mood, cognitive performance, saccadic eye movements and cardiovascular function were recorded. Subsequently, volunteers were given either clonidine (200 microg) or placebo and consumed coffee containing caffeine (1.5 mg/kg) or placebo. The test battery was then repeated 30 min, 150 min and 270 min later. A second cup of coffee (with the same amount of caffeine as the first) was consumed 120 min after the first cup. The results showed that clonidine reduced alertness, impaired many aspects of performance and slowed saccadic eye movements; caffeine removed many of these impairments. Both clonidine and caffeine influenced blood pressure (clonidine reduced it, caffeine raised it) but the effects appeared to be independent, suggesting that separate mechanisms were involved. In addition, there were some behavioural effects of caffeine that were independent of the clonidine effect (e.g. effects on speed of encoding of new information) and these may reflect other neurotransmitter systems (e.g cholinergic effects). Overall, the results suggest that caffeine counteracts reductions in the turnover of central noradrenaline. This mechanism may underlie the beneficial effects of caffeine seen in low alertness states.

Treatment of denture-related stomatitis improves endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vascular dilation.

PubMed

Osmenda, Grzegorz; Maciąg, Joanna; Wilk, Grzegorz; Maciąg, Anna; Nowakowski, Daniel; Loster, Jolanta; Dembowska, Elżbieta; Robertson, Douglas; Guzik, Tomasz; Cześnikiewicz-Guzik, Marta

2017-02-01

The presence of oral inflammation has recently been linked with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. While numerous studies have described links between periodontitis and endothelial dysfunction, little is known about the influence of denture-related stomatitis (DRS) on cardiovascular risk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the treatment of DRS can lead to improvement of the clinical measures of vascular dysfunction. The DRS patients were treated with a local oral antifungal agent for 3 weeks. Blood pressure, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-mediated vascular dilatation (NMD) were measured during three study visits: before treatment, one day and two months after conclusion of antifungal therapy. Flow-mediated dilatation measurements showed significant improvement of endothelial function 2 months after treatment (FMD median 5%, 95 CI: 3-8.3 vs. 11%, 95% CI: 8.8-14.4; p < 0.01), while there was no difference in control, endothelium-independent vasorelaxations (NMD; median = 15.3%, 95% CI: 10.8-19.3 vs. 12.7%, 95% CI: 10.6-15; p = 0.3). Other cardiovascular parameters such as systolic (median = 125 mm Hg; 95% CI: 116-129 vs. 120 mm Hg, 95% CI: 116-126; p = 0.1) as well as diastolic blood pressure and heart rate (median = 65.5 bpm, 95% CI: 56.7-77.7 vs. 71 bpm, 95% CI: 66.7-75; p = 0.5) did not change during or after the treatment. Treatment of DRS is associated with improvement of endothelial function. Since endothelial dysfunction is known to precede the development of severe cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and hypertension, patients should be more carefully screened for DRS in general dental practice, and immediate DRS treatment should be advised.

Diverse autonomic regulation of pupillary function and the cardiovascular system during alcohol withdrawal.

PubMed

Jochum, Thomas; Hoyme, Johannes; Schulz, Steffen; Weißenfels, Markus; Voss, Andreas; Bär, Karl-Jürgen

2016-02-01

Previous research indicated the complexity of autonomic dysfunction during acute alcohol withdrawal. This study aimed to investigate the pupillary light reflex as an indicator of midbrain and brainstem regulatory systems in relation to cardiovascular autonomic function. Thirty male patients were included in the study. They were investigated during acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome and 24h later during clomethiazole treatment and compared to healthy controls. Parameters of pupillary light reflex of both eyes as well as heart rate variability, blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were studied. We observed significantly reduced sympathetic (small diameter, e.g., left eye: 5.00 in patients vs. 5.91 mm in controls) and vagal modulation (e.g., prolonged latencies, left eye: 0.28 vs. 0.26 ms) regarding both pupils during acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Cardiovascular parameters showed reduced vagal modulation (e.g., b-slope of BRS: 7. 57 vs. 13.59 ms/mm Hg) and mixed results for sympathetic influence. After 24h, autonomic dysfunction improved significantly, both for the pupils (e.g., left diameter: 5.38 mm) and the heart (e.g., b-slope of BRS: 9.34 ms/mm Hg). While parameters obtained from the pupil correlated with cardiac autonomic function (e.g, BRS and left diameter: r=0.564) in healthy controls, no such pattern was observed in patients. Results obtained from the pupil during acute alcohol withdrawal do not simply mirror autonomic dysfunction regarding the heart. Pupillary and cardiovascular changes after 24h indicate state dependencies of the results. The findings are discussed with respect to autonomic mechanisms and potentially involved brain regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heart Rate and Oxygen Uptake Kinetics in Type 2 Diabetes Patients - A Pilot Study on the Influence of Cardiovascular Medication on Regulatory Processes.

PubMed

Koschate, Jessica; Drescher, Uwe; Baum, Klaus; Brinkmann, Christian; Schiffer, Thorsten; Latsch, Joachim; Brixius, Klara; Hoffmann, Uwe

2017-05-01

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether there are differences in heart rate and oxygen uptake kinetics in type 2 diabetes patients, considering their cardiovascular medication. It was hypothesized that cardiovascular medication would affect heart rate and oxygen uptake kinetics and that this could be detected using a standardized exercise test. 18 subjects were tested for maximal oxygen uptake. Kinetics were measured in a single test session with standardized, randomized moderate-intensity work rate changes. Time series analysis was used to estimate kinetics. Greater maxima in cross-correlation functions indicate faster kinetics. 6 patients did not take any cardiovascular medication, 6 subjects took peripherally acting medication and 6 patients were treated with centrally acting medication. Maximum oxygen uptake was not significantly different between groups. Significant main effects were identified regarding differences in muscular oxygen uptake kinetics and heart rate kinetics. Muscular oxygen uptake kinetics were significantly faster than heart rate kinetics in the group with no cardiovascular medication (maximum in cross-correlation function of muscular oxygen uptake vs. heart rate; 0.32±0.08 vs. 0.25±0.06; p=0.001) and in the group taking peripherally acting medication (0.34±0.05 vs. 0.28±0.05; p=0.009) but not in the patients taking centrally acting medication (0.28±0.05 vs. 0.30±0.07; n.s.). It can be concluded that regulatory processes for the achievement of a similar maximal oxygen uptake are different between the groups. The used standardized test provided plausible results for heart rate and oxygen uptake kinetics in a single measurement session in this patient group. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effects of cardiovascular exercise early after stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in chronic stroke. Most motor and functional recovery occurs in the first months after stroke. Improving cardiovascular capacity may have potential to precipitate recovery during early stroke rehabilitation. Currently, little is known about the effects of early cardiovascular exercise in stroke survivors. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of cardiovascular exercise early after stroke. Methods A systematic literature search was performed. For this review, randomized and non-randomized prospective controlled cohort studies using a cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary or aerobic training intervention starting within 6 months post stroke were considered. The PEDro scale was used to detect risk of bias in individual studies. Inter-rater agreement was calculated (kappa). Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Results A total of 11 trials were identified for inclusion. Inter-rater agreement was considered to be “very good” (Kappa: 0.81, Standard Error: 0.06, CI95%: 0.70–0.92), and the methodological quality was “good” (7 studies) to “fair” (4 studies). Peak oxygen uptake data were available for 155 participants. Pooled analysis yielded homogenous effects favouring the intervention group (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.83, CI95% = 0.50–1.16, Z = 4.93, P < 0.01). Walking endurance assessed with the 6 Minute Walk Test comprised 278 participants. Pooled analysis revealed homogenous effects favouring the cardiovascular training intervention group (SMD = 0.69, CI95% = 0.45–0.94, Z = 5.58, P < 0.01). Gait speed, measured in 243 participants, did not show significant results (SMD = 0.51, CI95% = −0.25–1.26, Z = 1.31, P = 0.19) in favour of early cardiovascular exercise. Conclusion This meta-analysis shows that stroke survivors may benefit from cardiovascular exercise during sub-acute stages to improve peak oxygen uptake and walking distance. Thus, cardiovascular exercise should be considered in sub-acute stroke rehabilitation. However, concepts to influence and evaluate aerobic capacity in severely affected individuals with sub-acute stroke, as well as in the very early period after stroke, are lacking. Further research is needed to develop appropriate methods for cardiovascular rehabilitation early after stroke and to evaluate long-term effects of cardiovascular exercise on aerobic capacity, physical functioning, and quality-of-life. PMID:22727172

The acute effects of different spironolactone doses on cardiac function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PubMed

Vranic, Aleksandra; Simovic, Stefan; Ristic, Petar; Nikolic, Tamara; Stojic, Isidora; Srejovic, Ivan; Zivkovic, Vladimir; Jakovljevic, Vladimir; Djuric, Dusan

2017-11-01

Currently, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global mortality, while diabetes mellitus remains an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity. A recent study showed that patients with diabetes mellitus treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have improved coronary microvascular function, leading to improved diastolic dysfunction. In this study, we evaluated the influence of acute administration of spironolactone on myocardial function in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, with special emphasis on cardiodynamic parameters in diabetic rat hearts. The present study was carried out on 40 adult male Wistar albino rats (8 weeks old). Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 animals per group): healthy rats treated with 0.1 μmol/L of spironolactone, diabetic rats treated with 0.1 μmol/L of spironolactone, healthy rats treated with 3 μmol/L of spironolactone, and diabetic rats treated with 3 μmol/L of spironolactone. Different, dose-dependent, acute responses of spironolactone treatment on isolated, working diabetic and healthy rat heart were observed in our study. In healthy rats, better systolic function was achieved with higher spironolactone dose, while in diabetic rats, similar effects of low and high spironolactone dose were observed.

Noninvasive assessment of arterial function in children: clinical applications

PubMed Central

Aggoun, Y; Beghetti, M

2002-01-01

Non invasive methods to assess arterial function are widely used in adults. The development and progression of arterial vascular disease is a multifactorial process that can start early in life, thus even in a pediatric population. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease mediate their effects by altering the structure, properties and function of wall and endothelial components of the arterial blood vessels. The ability to detect and monitor sub-clinical damage, representing the cumulative and integrated influence of risk factors in impairing arterial wall integrity, holds potential to further refine cardiovascular risk stratification and enable early intervention to prevent or attenuate disease progression. Measurements that provide more direct information in relation to changes in arterial wall integrity clearly hold predictive and therapeutic potential. The aim of this current review will be to describe the non-invasive procedure used in children to investigate the mechanical properties of a great elastic artery, the common carotid, and the endothelial function of the brachial artery. The accuracy of recording noninvasively the blood pressure wave contour along the arterial tree has been improved by the technique of applanation tonometry. The results obtained with these methods in previous studies are described. PMID:22368620

Weather-induced ischemia and arrhythmia in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation: another difference between men and women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Alexandra; Schuh, Angela; Maetzel, Friedrich-Karl; Rückerl, Regina; Breitner, Susanne; Peters, Annette

2008-07-01

Given the accumulating evidence that people with underlying heart disease are a particularly vulnerable group for triggers like changing meteorological parameters, the objective of this longitudinal study was to analyze the influence of weather parameters on blood pressure, arrhythmia and ischemia in cardiovascular patients. A panel study with repeated measurements was conducted in a rehabilitation clinic in Timmendorfer Strand (Baltic Sea, Germany) with 872 cardiovascular patients. Heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiography changes were measured during repeated bicycle ergometries. Generalized Estimating Equations were used for regression analyses of immediate, delayed and cumulative influences of the daily measured meteorological data. For men, a decrease in air temperature and in water vapor pressure doubled the risk of ST-segment depression during ergometry [odds ratio (OR) for 1 day delay: 1.88 (1.24; 2.83) for air temperature] with a delay of 1-2 days. For women, an increase of their heart rate before the start of the ergometry [same day: 4.36 beats/min (0.99; 7.74) for air temperature] and a 2- to 3-fold higher risk for ventricular ectopic beats [1 day delay: OR 2.43 (1.17; 5.05) for air temperature] was observed with an increase in temperature and water vapor pressure in almost all analyzed time-windows. The study indicates that meteorological parameters can induce changes in heart function which may lead to adverse cardiovascular events especially in susceptible, diseased individuals. The observed effect on ST-segment depression could be a link between the association of weather changes and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Factors and the Decision to Transfuse Chronic Dialysis Patients

PubMed Central

Whitman, Cynthia B.; Shreay, Sanatan; Gitlin, Matthew; van Oijen, Martijn G. H.

2013-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Red blood cell transfusion was previously the principle therapy for anemia in CKD but became less prevalent after the introduction of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. This study used adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis to identify preferences and predictors of transfusion decision-making in CKD. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A computerized adaptive choice-based conjoint survey was administered between June and August of 2012 to nephrologists, internists, and hospitalists listed in the American Medical Association Masterfile. The survey quantified the relative importance of 10 patient attributes, including hemoglobin levels, age, occult blood in stool, severity of illness, eligibility for transplant, iron indices, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, cardiovascular disease, and functional status. Triggers of transfusions in common dialysis scenarios were studied, and based on adaptive choice-based conjoint-derived preferences, relative importance by performing multivariable regression to identify predictors of transfusion preferences was assessed. Results A total of 350 providers completed the survey (n=305 nephrologists; mean age=46 years; 21% women). Of 10 attributes assessed, absolute hemoglobin level was the most important driver of transfusions, accounting for 29% of decision-making, followed by functional status (16%) and cardiovascular comorbidities (12%); 92% of providers transfused when hemoglobin was 7.5 g/dl, independent of other factors. In multivariable regression, Veterans Administration providers were more likely to transfuse at 8.0 g/dl (odds ratio, 5.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.9 to 18.4). Although transplant eligibility explained only 5% of decision-making, nephrologists were five times more likely to value it as important compared with non-nephrologists (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.4 to11.1). Conclusions Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis was useful in predicting influences on transfusion decisions. Hemoglobin level, functional status, and cardiovascular comorbidities most strongly influenced transfusion decision-making, but preference variations were observed among subgroups. PMID:23929931

Effect of Grape Seed Extract and Quercetin on Cardiovascular and Endothelial Parameters in High-Risk Subjects

PubMed Central

Clifton, Peter M.

2004-01-01

Grape seed extract (GSE) has in vitro antioxidant activity but whether or not it works in vivo is not clear. In a fully randomised, crossover trial with 4-week treatment periods on 36 men and women with above-average vascular risk, we aimed to demonstrate that 2 g/day of GSE (1 g of polyphenols) alone, or with 1 g/day of added quercetin in yoghurt, favourably alters vascular function, endothelial function, and degree of oxidative damage in comparison to a control yoghurt. GSE alone improved flow-mediated dilatation determined ultrasonically by an absolute 1.1% compared with control. There was no effect of the combination of GSE with quercetin. No other blood or urine measure was altered. Thus sufficient polyphenols from GSE appear to be absorbed to influence endothelial nitric oxide production, and GSE has the potential to favourably influence vascular function. PMID:15577189

Cardiovascular function in male and female JCR:LA-cp rats: effect of high-fat/high-sucrose diet.

PubMed

Hunter, Ian; Soler, Amanda; Joseph, Gregory; Hutcheson, Brenda; Bradford, Chastity; Zhang, Frank Fan; Potter, Barry; Proctor, Spencer; Rocic, Petra

2017-04-01

Thirty percent of the world population is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. High-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet (Western diet) correlates with metabolic syndrome prevalence. We characterized effects of the HF/HS diet on vascular (arterial stiffness, vasoreactivity, and coronary collateral development) and cardiac (echocardiography) function, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a rat model of metabolic syndrome (JCR rats). Furthermore, we determined whether male versus female animals were affected differentially by the Western diet. Cardiovascular function in JCR male rats was impaired versus normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. HF/HS diet compromised cardiovascular (dys)function in JCR but not SD male rats. In contrast, cardiovascular function was minimally impaired in JCR female rats on normal chow. However, cardiovascular function in JCR female rats on the HF/HS diet deteriorated to levels comparable to JCR male rats on the HF/HS diet. Similarly, oxidative stress was markedly increased in male but not female JCR rats on normal chow but was equally exacerbated by the HF/HS diet in male and female JCR rats. These results indicate that the Western diet enhances oxidative stress and cardiovascular dysfunction in metabolic syndrome and eliminates the protective effect of female sex on cardiovascular function, implying that both males and females with metabolic syndrome are at equal risk for cardiovascular disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Western diet abolished protective effect of sex against cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in premenopausal animals with metabolic syndrome. Western diet accelerates progression of CVD in male and female animals with preexisting metabolic syndrome but not normal animals. Exacerbation of baseline oxidative stress correlates with accelerated progression of CVD in metabolic syndrome animals on Western diet. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Early abnormalities of cardiovascular structure and function in middle-aged Korean adults with prehypertension: The Korean Genome Epidemiology study.

PubMed

Kim, Seong Hwan; Cho, Goo-Yeong; Baik, Inkyung; Lim, Sang Yup; Choi, Cheol Ung; Lim, Hong Euy; Kim, Eung Ju; Park, Chang Gyu; Park, Juri; Kim, Jinyoung; Shin, Chol

2011-02-01

Prehypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there are few population-based studies on the changes of cardiovascular structure and function that characterize prehypertension. The aim of this study was to assess whether prehypertension is associated with abnormalities of cardiovascular structure and function in the general Korean population. We analyzed the cross-sectional relationships between prehypertension and cardiovascular structure and function in a sample from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. A total of 1,671 individuals (54.5% women; mean age: 53 ± 6 years) without hypertension and diabetes mellitus were enrolled. Cardiovascular structure and function were assessed by conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), carotid ultrasonography, and pulse wave velocity (PWV). The left ventricular (LV) mass index was significantly higher in subjects with prehypertension than in those with normotension (41 ± 8 g/m²·⁷ vs. 38 ± 7 g/m²·⁷, P < 0.001). LV diastolic parameters, such as the E/A ratio, TDI E(a) velocity, and E/E(a) ratio, were also impaired in subjects with prehypertension (all P < 0.001). Compared with normotension, prehypertension was characterized by a significantly higher common carotid artery intima-media thickness and a higher brachial-ankle PWV (all P < 0.001). These abnormalities of cardiovascular structure and function remained significant after adjustment for covariates. In this population-based cohort, we found that subtle alterations in cardiovascular structure and function were already present at the prehypertensive stage. Whether such subtle alterations convey an increased risk of cardiovascular events and whether the changes are reversible with treatment warrant further study.

Cardiovascular function in male and female JCR:LA-cp rats: effect of high-fat/high-sucrose diet

PubMed Central

Hunter, Ian; Soler, Amanda; Joseph, Gregory; Hutcheson, Brenda; Bradford, Chastity; Zhang, Frank Fan; Potter, Barry; Proctor, Spencer

2017-01-01

Thirty percent of the world population is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. High-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet (Western diet) correlates with metabolic syndrome prevalence. We characterized effects of the HF/HS diet on vascular (arterial stiffness, vasoreactivity, and coronary collateral development) and cardiac (echocardiography) function, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a rat model of metabolic syndrome (JCR rats). Furthermore, we determined whether male versus female animals were affected differentially by the Western diet. Cardiovascular function in JCR male rats was impaired versus normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. HF/HS diet compromised cardiovascular (dys)function in JCR but not SD male rats. In contrast, cardiovascular function was minimally impaired in JCR female rats on normal chow. However, cardiovascular function in JCR female rats on the HF/HS diet deteriorated to levels comparable to JCR male rats on the HF/HS diet. Similarly, oxidative stress was markedly increased in male but not female JCR rats on normal chow but was equally exacerbated by the HF/HS diet in male and female JCR rats. These results indicate that the Western diet enhances oxidative stress and cardiovascular dysfunction in metabolic syndrome and eliminates the protective effect of female sex on cardiovascular function, implying that both males and females with metabolic syndrome are at equal risk for cardiovascular disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Western diet abolished protective effect of sex against cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in premenopausal animals with metabolic syndrome. Western diet accelerates progression of CVD in male and female animals with preexisting metabolic syndrome but not normal animals. Exacerbation of baseline oxidative stress correlates with accelerated progression of CVD in metabolic syndrome animals on Western diet. PMID:28087518

Role of training and detraining on inflammatory and metabolic profile in infarcted rats: influences of cardiovascular autonomic nervous system.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Bruno; Santana, Aline Alves; Santamarina, Aline Boveto; Oyama, Lila Missae; Caperuto, Érico Chagas; de Souza, Cláudio Teodoro; Barboza, Catarina de Andrade; Rocha, Leandro Yanase; Figueroa, Diego; Mostarda, Cristiano; Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia; Lira, Fábio Santos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise training (ET, 50-70% of VO2 max, 5 days/week) and detraining (DT) on inflammatory and metabolic profile after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C, n = 8), sedentary infarcted (SI, n = 9), trained infarcted (TI, n = 10; 3 months of ET), and detrained infarcted (DI, n = 11; 2 months of ET + 1 month of DT). After ET and DT protocols, ventricular function and inflammation, cardiovascular autonomic modulation (spectral analysis), and adipose tissue inflammation and lipolytic pathway were evaluated. ET after MI improved cardiac and vascular autonomic modulation, and these benefits were correlated with reduced inflammatory cytokines on the heart and adipose tissue. These positive changes were sustained even after 1 month of detraining. No expressive changes were observed in oxidative stress and lipolytic pathway in experimental groups. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that the autonomic improvement promoted by ET, and maintained even after the detraining period, was associated with reduced inflammatory profile in the left ventricle and adipose tissue of rats subjected to MI. These data encourage enhancing cardiovascular autonomic function as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of inflammatory process triggered by MI.

Role of Training and Detraining on Inflammatory and Metabolic Profile in Infarcted Rats: Influences of Cardiovascular Autonomic Nervous System

PubMed Central

Santana, Aline Alves; Santamarina, Aline Boveto; Oyama, Lila Missae; Caperuto, Érico Chagas; de Souza, Cláudio Teodoro; Barboza, Catarina de Andrade; Rocha, Leandro Yanase; Figueroa, Diego; Mostarda, Cristiano; Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia; Lira, Fábio Santos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise training (ET, 50–70% of VO2 max, 5 days/week) and detraining (DT) on inflammatory and metabolic profile after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C, n = 8), sedentary infarcted (SI, n = 9), trained infarcted (TI, n = 10; 3 months of ET), and detrained infarcted (DI, n = 11; 2 months of ET + 1 month of DT). After ET and DT protocols, ventricular function and inflammation, cardiovascular autonomic modulation (spectral analysis), and adipose tissue inflammation and lipolytic pathway were evaluated. ET after MI improved cardiac and vascular autonomic modulation, and these benefits were correlated with reduced inflammatory cytokines on the heart and adipose tissue. These positive changes were sustained even after 1 month of detraining. No expressive changes were observed in oxidative stress and lipolytic pathway in experimental groups. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that the autonomic improvement promoted by ET, and maintained even after the detraining period, was associated with reduced inflammatory profile in the left ventricle and adipose tissue of rats subjected to MI. These data encourage enhancing cardiovascular autonomic function as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of inflammatory process triggered by MI. PMID:25045207

NAD(P)H oxidase p22(phox) polymorphism and cardiovascular function in amateur runners.

PubMed

Gallina, S; Di Francescomarino, S; Di Mauro, M; Izzicupo, P; D'Angelo, E; D'Amico, M A; Pennelli, A; Amicarelli, F; Di Baldassarre, A

2012-09-01

NAD(P)H system represents the major source of superoxide production at cardiovascular (CV) level. It has several genetic variants: in particular, the C242T polymorphism of its p22(phox) subunit is associated with a different oxidase activity, being the T allele related to a lower superoxide production. Although several authors investigated the protective effect of T allele in CV diseases, only few data are available on its functional role in physiological conditions. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the p22(phox) C242T polymorphism and CV function in amateur runners. Seventy-three male amateur runners were screened for CYBA polymorphism. CV analysis was performed by echocardiographic-Doppler examination and by PulsePen tonometer assessment. The genetic subgroups (CC and CT/TT) did not differ for VM O(2max) and cardiac dimension. Nevertheless, T carriers (n = 40) were characterized by a more efficient myocardial contraction and left ventricular (LV) filling, as evidenced by significant higher values of the midwall fractional shortening, systolic excursion of the tricuspid annular plane and of early/late diastolic wave velocities ratio and by a lower E wave deceleration time. Pulse wave velocity and augmentation index, parameters related to the arterial stiffness, were higher in CC subjects compared with CT/TT also when the analysis was adjusted for weight and diastolic pressure. In amateur runners, CYBA variants may influence both systolic and diastolic function and arterial stiffness. We suppose that the lower oxidative activity that characterizes 242T subjects may positively influence the excitation-contraction and arterial-ventricular coupling mechanisms, thus leading to a more efficient CV function. © 2012 The Authors Acta Physiologica © 2012 Scandinavian Physiological Society.

Possible influence of solar extreme events and related geomagnetic disturbances on human cardio-vascular state: Results of collaborative Bulgarian-Azerbaijani studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrova, S.; Mustafa, F. R.; Stoilova, I.; Babayev, E. S.; Kazimov, E. A.

2009-02-01

This collaborative study is based on the analysis and comparison of results of coordinated experimental investigations conducted in Bulgaria and Azerbaijan for revealing a possible influence of solar activity changes and related geomagnetic activity variations on the human cardio-vascular state. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate of 86 healthy volunteers were measured on working days during a period of comparatively high solar and geomagnetic activity (2799 measurements in autumn 2001 and spring 2002) in Sofia. Daily experimental investigations of parameters of cardio-vascular health state were performed in Azerbaijan with a permanent group of examined persons. Heart rate and electrocardiograms were digitally registered (in total 1532 records) for seven functionally healthy persons on working days and Saturdays, in the Laboratory of Heliobiology at the Medical Center INAM in Baku, from 15.07.2006 to 13.11.2007. Obtained digital recordings were subjected to medical, statistical and spectral analyses. Special attention was paid to effects of solar extreme events, particularly those of November 2001 and December 2006. The statistical method of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis were applied to check the significance of the influence of geomagnetic activity on the cardio-vascular parameters under consideration. Results revealed statistically significant increments for the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values of the group with geomagnetic activity increase. Arterial blood pressure values started increasing two days prior to geomagnetic storms and kept their high values up to two days after the storms. Heart rate reaction was ambiguous and not significant for healthy persons examined (for both groups) under conditions with geomagnetic activity changes. It is concluded that heart rate for healthy persons at middle latitudes can be considered as a more stable physiological parameter which is not so sensitive to environmental changes while the dynamics of arterial blood pressure reveals a compensatory reaction of the human organism for adaptation.

Regulation of the Cardiovascular System by Histamine.

PubMed

Hattori, Yuichi; Hattori, Kohshi; Matsuda, Naoyuki

2017-01-01

Histamine mediates a wide range of cellular responses, including allergic and inflammatory reactions, gastric acid secretion, and neurotransmission in the central nervous system. Histamine also exerts a series of actions upon the cardiovascular system but may not normally play a significant role in regulating cardiovascular function. During tissue injury, inflammation, and allergic responses, mast cells (or non-mast cells) within the tissues can release large amounts of histamine that leads to noticeable cardiovascular effects. Owing to intensive research during several decades, the distribution, function, and pathophysiological role of cardiovascular H 1 - and H 2 -receptors has become recognized adequately. Besides the recognized H 1 - and H 2 -receptor-mediated cardiovascular responses, novel roles of H 3 - and H 4 -receptors in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology have been identified over the last decade. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of cardiovascular function and dysfunction mediated by histamine receptors, including H 3 - and H 4 -receptors, their potential mechanisms of action, and their pathological significance.

A review on cardiovascular diseases originated from subclinical hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Mansourian, Azad Reza

2012-01-15

Thyroid hormones play an important role on the cardiovascular systems and thyroid disorder ultimately have a profound adverse effects on myocardium and vascular functions. There are extensive reports on the role of overt thyroid dysfunction which adversely can modify the cardiovascular metabolism but even at the present of some controversial reports, the subclinical thyroid disorders are able also to manipulate cardiovascular system to some extent. The aim of this study is to review the cardiovascular disorders accompanied with subclinical hypothyroidism. It is concluded that adverse effect of thyroid malfunction on myocardium and vascular organs are through the direct role of thyroid hormone and dyslipidemia on heart muscle cells at nuclear level and vascular system, respectively. It seems many cardiovascular disorders initially would not have been occurred in the first place if the thyroid of affected person had functioned properly, therefore thyroid function tests should be one of a prior laboratory examinations in cardiovascular disorders.

Emotional Stress and Cardiovascular Complications in Animal Models: A Review of the Influence of Stress Type

PubMed Central

Crestani, Carlos C.

2016-01-01

Emotional stress has been recognized as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The impact of stress on physiological and psychological processes is determined by characteristics of the stress stimulus. For example, distinct responses are induced by acute vs. chronic aversive stimuli. Additionally, the magnitude of stress responses has been reported to be inversely related to the degree of predictability of the aversive stimulus. Therefore, the purpose of the present review was to discuss experimental research in animal models describing the influence of stressor stimulus characteristics, such as chronicity and predictability, in cardiovascular dysfunctions induced by emotional stress. Regarding chronicity, the importance of cardiovascular and autonomic adjustments during acute stress sessions and cardiovascular consequences of frequent stress response activation during repeated exposure to aversive threats (i.e., chronic stress) is discussed. Evidence of the cardiovascular and autonomic changes induced by chronic stressors involving daily exposure to the same stressor (predictable) vs. different stressors (unpredictable) is reviewed and discussed in terms of the impact of predictability in cardiovascular dysfunctions induced by stress. PMID:27445843

Ideal cardiovascular health influences cardiovascular disease risk associated with high lipoprotein(a) levels and genotype: The EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study.

PubMed

Perrot, Nicolas; Verbeek, Rutger; Sandhu, Manjinder; Boekholdt, S Matthijs; Hovingh, G Kees; Wareham, Nicholas J; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Arsenault, Benoit J

2017-01-01

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a strong genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The American Heart Association has prioritised seven cardiovascular health metrics to reduce the burden of CVD: body mass index, healthy diet, physical activity, smoking status, blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels (together also known as ideal cardiovascular health). Our objective was to determine if individuals with high Lp(a) levels could derive cardiovascular benefits if characterized by ideal cardiovascular health. A total of 14,051 participants of the EPIC-Norfolk study were stratified according to the cardiovascular health score (based on the number of health metrics with an ideal, intermediate or poor status). Of them, 1732 had a CVD event during a mean follow-up of 11.5 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to describe the association between the cardiovascular health score and Lp(a) level or genotype (as estimated by the rs10455872 variant) with the risk of CVD. We observed little or no differences in serum Lp(a) levels across the seven cardiovascular health metric categories. Among participants with high serum Lp(a) levels ≥50 mg/dl), those in the highest (i.e. healthiest) cardiovascular health score category (10-14) had an adjusted hazard ratio for cardiovascular disease of 0.33 (95% CI = 0.17-0.63, p = 0.001) compared to participants in the lowest (i.e. unhealthiest) cardiovascular health score category(0-4). Similar results were obtained when we replaced Lp(a) with rs10455872. Although Lp(a) levels are only slightly influenced by cardiovascular health metrics, an ideal cardiovascular health could substantially reduce CVD risk associated with high Lp(a) levels or genotype. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Older adult awareness of the influence of cardiovascular disease risk factors on cognitive function.

PubMed

Wright, Regina S; Ford, Cassandra; Sniscak, Courtney R

2017-03-01

The aims of the current study were to (i) assess older people's awareness of the association between CVD risk factors and cognitive function; and (ii) examine whether awareness varies as a function of demographic factors. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have been linked to subtle deficits in cognitive function. CVD risk factors increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and cognitive decrements has been well documented among older people; however, we are unaware of any studies that have measured older people's awareness of this relationship in an effort to assess educational needs. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Community-based older adults aged 60 and older completed a survey that assessed their knowledge of the association between CVD risk factors and cognitive function. One hundred fifty older adults, with a mean age of 72.88 years, completed the survey. Results showed that over 75% of the sample was aware that CVD risk factors affect cognitive function. White older adults and older adults with greater perceived financial well-being tended to be more aware of these relationships than non-White participants with less perceived financial well-being. Results suggest that many, but not all older people have awareness of this relationship. As such, there is a need for increased education about the cognitive effects of CVD risk factors, particularly among older people who are already at risk for developing CVD and those with lesser financial well-being. Appropriate educational strategies can expose older patients to the importance of healthy lifestyle and self-care to maintain cognitive function. Nurses can incorporate education into care by identifying patients that would benefit from tailored interventions and providing information to at-risk patients about how to maintain their cognitive function through management of specific CVD risk factors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

International spinal cord injury cardiovascular function basic data set.

PubMed

Krassioukov, A; Alexander, M S; Karlsson, A-K; Donovan, W; Mathias, C J; Biering-Sørensen, F

2010-08-01

To create an International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Cardiovascular Function Basic Data Set within the framework of the International SCI Data Sets. An international working group. The draft of the data set was developed by a working group comprising members appointed by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and a representative of the executive committee of the International SCI Standards and Data Sets. The final version of the data set was developed after review by members of the executive committee of the International SCI Standards and Data Sets, the ISCoS scientific committee, ASIA board, relevant and interested international organizations and societies, individual persons with specific interest and the ISCoS Council. To make the data set uniform, each variable and each response category within each variable have been specifically defined in a way that is designed to promote the collection and reporting of comparable minimal data. The variables included in the International SCI Cardiovascular Function Basic Data Set include the following items: date of data collection, cardiovascular history before the spinal cord lesion, events related to cardiovascular function after the spinal cord lesion, cardiovascular function after the spinal cord lesion, medications affecting cardiovascular function on the day of examination; and objective measures of cardiovascular functions, including time of examination, position of examination, pulse and blood pressure. The complete instructions for data collection and the data sheet itself are freely available on the websites of both ISCoS (http://www.iscos.org.uk) and ASIA (http://www.asia-spinalinjury.org).

Expanding application of the Wiggers diagram to teach cardiovascular physiology

PubMed Central

Wang, Jiun-Jr

2014-01-01

Dr. Carl Wiggers' careful observations have provided a meaningful resource for students to learn how the heart works. Throughout the many years from his initial reports, the Wiggers diagram has been used, in various degrees of complexity, as a fundamental tool for cardiovascular instruction. Often, the various electrical and mechanical plots are the novice learner's first exposure to simulated data. As the various temporal relationships throughout a heartbeat could simply be memorized, the challenge for the cardiovascular instructor is to engage the learner so the underlying mechanisms governing the changing electrical and mechanical events are truly understood. Based on experience, we suggest some additions to the Wiggers diagram that are not commonly used to enhance cardiovascular pedagogy. For example, these additions could be, but are not limited to, introducing the concept of energy waves and their role in influencing pressure and flow in health and disease. Also, integrating concepts of exercise physiology, and the differences in cardiac function and hemodynamics between an elite athlete and normal subject, can have a profound impact on student engagement. In describing the relationship between electrical and mechanical events, the instructor may find the introduction of premature ventricular contractions as a useful tool to further understanding of this important principle. It is our hope that these examples can aid cardiovascular instructors to engage their learners and promote fundamental understanding at the expense of simple memorization. PMID:24913453

Expanding application of the Wiggers diagram to teach cardiovascular physiology.

PubMed

Mitchell, Jamie R; Wang, Jiun-Jr

2014-06-01

Dr. Carl Wiggers' careful observations have provided a meaningful resource for students to learn how the heart works. Throughout the many years from his initial reports, the Wiggers diagram has been used, in various degrees of complexity, as a fundamental tool for cardiovascular instruction. Often, the various electrical and mechanical plots are the novice learner's first exposure to simulated data. As the various temporal relationships throughout a heartbeat could simply be memorized, the challenge for the cardiovascular instructor is to engage the learner so the underlying mechanisms governing the changing electrical and mechanical events are truly understood. Based on experience, we suggest some additions to the Wiggers diagram that are not commonly used to enhance cardiovascular pedagogy. For example, these additions could be, but are not limited to, introducing the concept of energy waves and their role in influencing pressure and flow in health and disease. Also, integrating concepts of exercise physiology, and the differences in cardiac function and hemodynamics between an elite athlete and normal subject, can have a profound impact on student engagement. In describing the relationship between electrical and mechanical events, the instructor may find the introduction of premature ventricular contractions as a useful tool to further understanding of this important principle. It is our hope that these examples can aid cardiovascular instructors to engage their learners and promote fundamental understanding at the expense of simple memorization. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

Aquaporins in Cardiovascular System.

PubMed

Tie, Lu; Wang, Di; Shi, Yundi; Li, Xuejun

2017-01-01

Recent studies have shown that some aquaporins (AQPs ), including AQP1, AQP4, AQP7 and AQP9, are expressed in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and heart of cardiovascular system. These AQPs are involved in the cardiovascular function and in pathological process of related diseases, such as cerebral ischemia , congestion heart failure , hypertension and angiogenesis. Therefore, it is important to understand the accurate association between AQPs and cardiovascular system, which may provide novel approaches to prevent and treat related diseases. Here we will discuss the expression and physiological function of AQPs in cardiovascular system and summarize recent researches on AQPs related cardiovascular diseases.

[Probiotics and prebiotics as a bioactive component of functional food].

PubMed

Kapka-Skrzypczak, Lucyna; Niedźwiecka, Joanna; Wojtyła, Andrzej; Kruszewski, Marcin

2012-01-01

The results of food science investigations have confirmed the relationship between the type of eaten food and health. Simultaneously, consumers are paying more and more attention to the kind of food they eat, as their awareness concerning the influence of proper food on health is increasing. On that base the conception of functional food has been created. This kind of food, besides being a source of essential macro- and micronutrients, exerts an additional positive influence on health. Probiotics and prebiotics containing products are a good example of functional food. These products provide not only essential nutrients but also microorganisms and polysaccharides, which are indigestible in the human alimentary tract, but exert a positive effect on human health. It may be a therapeutic or prophylactic effect due to specific affliction or may improve health in general. The paper - based on available literature - shows a positive influence of probiotics and prebiotics on human health, especially in the immunomodulation effect, an advantageous effect on the digestive system, antitumor activity and a possible therapeutic and prophylactic effect on cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Clinical and pathological manifestations of cardiovascular disease in rat models: the influence of acute ozone exposure

EPA Science Inventory

This paper shows that rat models of cardiovascular diseases have differential degrees of underlying pathologies at a young age. Rodent models of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and metabolic disorders are used for examining susceptibility variations to environmental exposures. How...

Dietary Approaches that Delay Age-Related Diseases

PubMed Central

Everitt, Arthur V; Hilmer, Sarah N; Brand-Miller, Jennie C; Jamieson, Hamish A; Truswell, A Stewart; Sharma, Anita P; Mason, Rebecca S; Morris, Brian J; Le Couteur, David G

2006-01-01

Reducing food intake in lower animals such as the rat decreases body weight, retards many aging processes, delays the onset of most diseases of old age, and prolongs life. A number of clinical trials of food restriction in healthy adult human subjects running over 2–15 years show significant reductions in body weight, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure, which are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Lifestyle interventions that lower energy balance by reducing body weight such as physical exercise can also delay the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In general, clinical trials are suggesting that diets high in calories or fat along with overweight are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and dementia. There is a growing literature indicating that specific dietary constituents are able to influence the development of age-related diseases, including certain fats (trans fatty acids, saturated, and polyunsaturated fats) and cholesterol for cardiovascular disease, glycemic index and fiber for diabetes, fruits and vegetables for cardiovascular disease, and calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis and bone fracture. In addition, there are dietary compounds from different functional foods, herbs, and neutraceuticals such as ginseng, nuts, grains, and polyphenols that may affect the development of age-related diseases. Long-term prospective clinical trials will be needed to confirm these diet—disease relationships. On the basis of current research, the best diet to delay age-related disease onset is one low in calories and saturated fat and high in wholegrain cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, and which maintains a lean body weight. Such a diet should become a key component of healthy aging, delaying age-related diseases and perhaps intervening in the aging process itself. Furthermore, there are studies suggesting that nutrition in childhood and even in the fetus may influence the later development of aging diseases and lifespan. PMID:18047254

Persistent subclinical hypothyroidism and cardiovascular risk in the elderly: the cardiovascular health study.

PubMed

Hyland, Kristen A; Arnold, Alice M; Lee, Jennifer S; Cappola, Anne R

2013-02-01

Use of a single set of thyroid function tests to define subclinical hypothyroidism may lead to misclassification over time and could influence findings from longitudinal studies. We assessed the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), and cardiovascular (CV) death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism. The study included 679 subclinically hypothyroid and 4184 euthyroid U.S. individuals at least 65 yr old enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study and not taking thyroid preparations. We measured the 10-yr risk of incident CHD, HF, and CV death from persistent subclinical hypothyroidism, overall and stratified by degree of TSH elevation (4.5-6.9, 7.0-9.9, and 10.0-19.9 mU/liter). There was no association between persistent subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD [hazard ratio (HR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93-1.36], HF (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.97-1.27), or CV death (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.87-1.31) in adjusted analyses in which subclinical hypothyroidism was modeled as a time-varying exposure using up to four serial thyroid function tests. When subclinical hypothyroidism was stratified by degree of TSH elevation, no significant associations were found in any stratum. Findings were similar in fixed exposure analyses in which only participants with testing 2 yr apart were considered, with no association between persistent or transient subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD, HF, or CV death. Our data do not support increased risk of CHD, HF, or CV death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism.

Intradialytic Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Cardiovascular Responses in a Short-Term Trial of Hemodiafiltration and Hemodialysis

PubMed Central

Buchanan, Charlotte; Mohammed, Azharuddin; Cox, Eleanor; Köhler, Katrin; Canaud, Bernard; Taal, Maarten W.; Selby, Nicholas M.; Francis, Susan

2017-01-01

Hemodynamic stress during hemodialysis (HD) results in recurrent segmental ischemic injury (myocardial stunning) that drives cumulative cardiac damage. We performed a fully comprehensive study of the cardiovascular effect of dialysis sessions using intradialytic cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the comparative acute effects of standard HD versus hemodiafiltration (HDF) in stable patients. We randomly allocated 12 patients on HD (ages 32–72 years old) to either HD or HDF. Patients were stabilized on a modality for 2 weeks before undergoing serial cardiac MRI assessment during dialysis. Patients then crossed over to the other modality and were rescanned after 2 weeks. Cardiac MRI measurements included cardiac index, stroke volume index, global and regional contractile function (myocardial strain), coronary artery flow, and myocardial perfusion. Patients had mean±SEM ultrafiltration rates of 3.8±2.9 ml/kg per hour during HD and 4.4±2.5 ml/kg per hour during HDF (P=0.29), and both modalities provided a similar degree of cooling. All measures of systolic contractile function fell during HD and HDF, with partial recovery after dialysis. All patients experienced some degree of segmental left ventricular dysfunction, with severity proportional to ultrafiltration rate and BP reduction. Myocardial perfusion decreased significantly during HD and HDF. Treatment modality did not influence any of the cardiovascular responses to dialysis. In conclusion, in this randomized, crossover study, there was no significant difference in the cardiovascular response to HDF or HD with cooled dialysate as assessed with intradialytic MRI. PMID:28122851

Hypothyroidism: age-related influence on cardiovascular nitric oxide system in rats.

PubMed

Sarati, Lorena I; Martinez, Carla R; Artés, Nicolás; Arreche, Noelia; López-Costa, Juan J; Balaszczuk, Ana M; Fellet, Andrea L

2012-09-01

This study investigates whether changes in nitric oxide (NO) production participate in the cardiovascular manifestations of hypothyroidism and whether these changes are age-related. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 2 and 18 months old were treated with 0.02% methimazole (wt/vol) during 28 days. Left ventricular function was evaluated by echocardiography. Measurements of arterial blood pressure, heart rate, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NOS/caveolin-1 and -3 protein levels were performed. Hypothyroidism enhanced the age-related changes in heart function. Hypothyroid state decreased atrial NOS activity in both young and adult rats, associated with a reduction in protein levels of the three NOS isoforms in young animals and increased caveolin (cav) 1 expression in adult rats. Ventricle and aorta NOS activity increased in young and adult hypothyroid animals. In ventricle, changes in NOS activity were accompanied by an increase in inducible NOS isoform in young rats and by an increase in caveolins expression in adult rats. Greater aorta NOS activity level in young and in adult Hypo rats would derive from the inducible and the endothelial NOS isoform, respectively. Thyroid hormones would be one of the factors involved in the modulation of cardiovascular NO production and caveolin-1 and -3 tissue-specific abundance, regardless of age. Hypothyroidism appears to contribute in a differential way to aging-induced changes in the myocardium and aorta tissues. Low thyroid hormones levels would enhance the aging effect on the heart. Age-related changes in NO production participate in the cardiovascular manifestations of hypothyroidism. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioavailable dietary phosphate, a mediator of cardiovascular disease, may be decreased with plant-based diets, phosphate binders, niacin, and avoidance of phosphate additives.

PubMed

McCarty, Mark F; DiNicolantonio, James J

2014-01-01

Increased fasting serum phosphate within the normal physiological range has been linked to increased cardiovascular risk in prospective epidemiology; increased production of fibroblast growth factor 23, and direct vascular effects of phosphate, may mediate this risk. Although dietary phosphate intake does not clearly influence fasting serum phosphate in individuals with normal renal function, increased phosphate intake can provoke a rise in fibroblast growth factor 23, and in diurnal phosphate levels, and hence may adversely influence vascular health. Dietary phosphate absorption can be moderated by emphasizing plant-based dietary choices (which provide phosphate in less bioavailable forms); avoidance of processed foods containing inorganic phosphate food additives; and by ingestion of phosphate-binder drugs, magnesium supplements, or niacin, which precipitate phosphate or suppress its gastrointestinal absorption. The propensity of dietary phosphate to promote vascular calcification may be opposed by optimal intakes of magnesium, vitamin K, and vitamin D; the latter should also counter the tendency of phosphate to elevate parathyroid hormone. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Resting State Functional Connectivity within the Cingulate Cortex Jointly Predicts Agreeableness and Stressor-Evoked Cardiovascular Reactivity

PubMed Central

Ryan, John P.; Sheu, Lei K.; Gianaros, Peter J.

2010-01-01

Exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity to stress confers risk for cardiovascular disease. Further, individual differences in stressor-evoked cardiovascular reactivity covary with the functionality of cortical and limbic brain areas, particularly within the cingulate cortex. What remains unclear, however, is how individual differences in personality traits interact with cingulate functionality in the prediction of stressor-evoked cardiovascular reactivity. Accordingly, we tested the associations between (i) a particular personality trait, Agreeableness, which is associated with emotional reactions to conflict, (ii) resting state functional connectivity within the cingulate cortex, and (iii) stressor-evoked blood pressure (BP) reactivity. Participants (N=39, 19 men, aged 20–37 yrs) completed a resting functional connectivity MRI protocol, followed by two standardized stressor tasks that engaged conflict processing and evoked BP reactivity. Agreeableness covaried positively with BP reactivity across individuals. Moreover, connectivity analyses demonstrated that a more positive functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate (BA31) and the perigenual anterior cingulate (BA32) covaried positively with Agreeableness and with BP reactivity. Finally, statistical mediation analyses demonstrated that BA31–BA32 connectivity mediated the covariation between Agreeableness and BP reactivity. Functional connectivity within the cingulate appears to link Agreeableness and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stressor-evoked BP reactivity. PMID:21130172

Platelet-derived growth factor-C and -D in the cardiovascular system and diseases.

PubMed

Lee, Chunsik; Li, Xuri

2018-08-01

The cardiovascular system is among the first organs formed during development and is pivotal for the formation and function of the rest of the organs and tissues. Therefore, the function and homeostasis of the cardiovascular system are finely regulated by many important molecules. Extensive studies have shown that platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors are critical regulators of the cardiovascular system. Even though PDGF-C and PDGF-D are relatively new members of the PDGF family, their critical roles in the cardiovascular system as angiogenic and survival factors have been amply demonstrated. Understanding the functions of PDGF-C and PDGF-D and the signaling pathways involved may provide novel insights into both basic biomedical research and new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole Grains in Amelioration of Metabolic Derangements

PubMed Central

Develaraja, Samir; Reddy, Anup; Yadav, Mukesh; Jain, Shalini; Yadav, Hariom

2017-01-01

Daily diet influences whole body metabolism, and intricately linked to the prevention or progression of metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Several epidemiological and large scale studies have shown that diets enriched with whole grains improves metabolic function and protect from the development of metabolic diseases. Direct impact of whole grain diet can be mediated on several levels of metabolic functions i.e. reduced glycemic index, improved fat oxidation potential, increased cholesterol clearance or decreased cholesterol biosynthesis and modulation of gut microbiome. In this article we reviewed several studies indicating the beneficial effects of whole grain diets on metabolic functions, as well as discussed the potential active phytochemicals present in these whole grain foods to contribute in modulation of metabolic function in our body. PMID:28944285

The Supply and Demand of the Cardiovascular Workforce

PubMed Central

Narang, Akhil; Sinha, Shashank S.; Rajagopalan, Bharath; Ijioma, Nkechinyere N.; Jayaram, Natalie; Kithcart, Aaron P.; Tanguturi, Varsha K.; Cullen, Michael W.

2017-01-01

As the burden of cardiovascular disease in the United States continues to increase, uncertainty remains on how well-equipped the cardiovascular workforce is to meet the challenges that lie ahead. In a time when health care is rapidly shifting, numerous factors affect the supply and demand of the cardiovascular workforce. This Council Commentary critically examines several factors that influence the cardiovascular workforce. These include current workforce demographics and projections, evolving health care and practice environments, and the increasing burden of cardiovascular disease. Finally, we propose 3 strategies to optimize the workforce. These focus on cardiovascular disease prevention, the effective utilization of the cardiovascular care team, and alterations to the training pathway for cardiologists. PMID:27712782

Cardiovascular Reactivity During Marital Conflict in Laboratory and Naturalistic Settings: Differential Associations with Relationship and Individual Functioning Across Contexts.

PubMed

Baucom, Brian R W; Baucom, Katherine J W; Hogan, Jasara N; Crenshaw, Alexander O; Bourne, Stacia V; Crowell, Sheila E; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Goodwin, Matthew S

2018-03-25

Cardiovascular reactivity during spousal conflict is considered to be one of the main pathways for relationship distress to impact physical, mental, and relationship health. However, the magnitude of association between cardiovascular reactivity during laboratory marital conflict and relationship functioning is small and inconsistent given the scope of its importance in theoretical models of intimate relationships. This study tests the possibility that cardiovascular data collected in laboratory settings downwardly bias the magnitude of these associations when compared to measures obtained in naturalistic settings. Ambulatory cardiovascular reactivity data were collected from 20 couples during two relationship conflicts in a research laboratory, two planned relationship conflicts at couples' homes, and two spontaneous relationship conflicts during couples' daily lives. Associations between self-report measures of relationship functioning, individual functioning, and cardiovascular reactivity across settings are tested using multilevel models. Cardiovascular reactivity was significantly larger during planned and spontaneous relationship conflicts in naturalistic settings than during planned relationship conflicts in the laboratory. Similarly, associations with relationship and individual functioning variables were statistically significantly larger for cardiovascular data collected in naturalistic settings than the same data collected in the laboratory. Our findings suggest that cardiovascular reactivity during spousal conflict in naturalistic settings is statistically significantly different from that elicited in laboratory settings both in magnitude and in the pattern of associations with a wide range of inter- and intrapersonal variables. These differences in findings across laboratory and naturalistic physiological responses highlight the value of testing physiological phenomena across interaction contexts in romantic relationships. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

Spectral indices of cardiovascular adaptations to short-term simulated microgravity exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patwardhan, A. R.; Evans, J. M.; Berk, M.; Grande, K. J.; Charles, J. B.; Knapp, C. F.

1995-01-01

We investigated the effects of exposure to microgravity on the baseline autonomic balance in cardiovascular regulation using spectral analysis of cardiovascular variables measured during supine rest. Heart rate, arterial pressure, radial flow, thoracic fluid impedance and central venous pressure were recorded from nine volunteers before and after simulated microgravity, produced by 20 hours of 6 degrees head down bedrest plus furosemide. Spectral powers increased after simulated microgravity in the low frequency region (centered at about 0.03 Hz) in arterial pressure, heart rate and radial flow, and decreased in the respiratory frequency region (centered at about 0.25 Hz) in heart rate. Reduced heart rate power in the respiratory frequency region indicates reduced parasympathetic influence on the heart. A concurrent increase in the low frequency power in arterial pressure, heart rate, and radial flow indicates increased sympathetic influence. These results suggest that the baseline autonomic balance in cardiovascular regulation is shifted towards increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic influence after exposure to short-term simulated microgravity.

Zinc restriction during different periods of life: influence in renal and cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Tomat, Analía Lorena; Costa, María de los Ángeles; Arranz, Cristina Teresa

2011-04-01

Micronutrient undernutrition during critical periods of growth has become an important health issue in developing and developed countries, particularly among pregnant women and children having an imbalanced diet. Zinc is a widely studied microelement in infant feeding because it is a component of several enzymes involved in intermediary metabolism ranging from growth to cell differentiation and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Human and experimental studies have reported an association between zinc deficiency and the etiopathogenesis of cardiovascular and renal diseases like hypertension, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. The main links between the development of these pathologies and zinc deficiency are multiple mechanisms involving oxidative stress damage, apoptosis, and inflammation. A substantial body of evidence suggests that a poor in utero environment elicited by maternal dietary or placental insufficiency may "programme" susceptibility in the fetus to later development of cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and endocrine diseases. Zinc deficiency in rats during intrauterine and postnatal growth can also be considered a model of fetal programming of cardiovascular and renal diseases in adult life. Dietary zinc restriction during fetal life, lactation, and/or postweaning induces an increase in arterial blood pressure and impairs renal function in adult life. This review focuses on the contributions of experimental and clinical studies to current knowledge of the physiologic role of zinc in the cardiovascular and renal systems. Moreover, this review examines the relationship between zinc deficiency during different periods of life and the development of cardiovascular and renal diseases in adult life. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The regular consumption of a polyphenol-rich apple does not influence endothelial function: a randomised double-blind trial in hypercholesterolemic adults.

PubMed

Auclair, S; Chironi, G; Milenkovic, D; Hollman, P C H; Renard, C M G C; Mégnien, J-L; Gariepy, J; Paul, J-L; Simon, A; Scalbert, A

2010-10-01

Epidemiological studies suggest that apple consumption is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk. Apple polyphenols may contribute to explain these effects. Endothelial dysfunction has been associated with early stage of atherosclerosis and polyphenols from various dietary sources have been shown to reverse it. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the consumption of a polyphenol-rich apple on endothelial function. In all, 30 hypercholesterolemic volunteers were included in a double-blind, randomized crossover trial. They successively consumed 40 g of two lyophilized apples, polyphenol-rich and polyphenol-poor, providing respectively 1.43 and 0.21 g polyphenols per day during two 4-week periods separated by a 4-week washout period. Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was assessed at the beginning and at the end of each intervention period. FMD did not differ between the polyphenol-rich and the polyphenol-poor apples, neither did the other cardiovascular disease risk factors (plasma lipids, homocysteine, antioxidant capacity). These data suggest that over a 4-week period, the consumption of a polyphenol-rich apple does not improve vascular function in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Age-related changes in endothelial function and blood flow regulation.

PubMed

Toda, Noboru

2012-02-01

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is regarded as a primary phenotypic expression of normal human aging. This senescence-induced disorder is the likely culprit underlying the increased cardiovascular and metabolic disease risks associated with aging. The rate of this age-dependent deterioration is largely influenced by the poor-quality lifestyle choice, such as smoking, sedentary daily life, chronic alcohol ingestion, high salt intake, unbalanced diet, and mental stress; and it is accelerated by cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Although minimizing these detrimental factors is the best course of action, nonetheless chronological age steadily impairs endothelial function through reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression/action, accelerated nitric oxide (NO) degradation, increased phosphodiesterase activity, inhibition of NOS activity by endogenous NOS inhibitors, increased production of reactive oxygen species, inflammatory reactions, decreased endothelial progenitor cell number and function, and impaired telomerase activity or telomere shortening. Endothelial dysfunction in regional vasculatures results in cerebral hypoperfusion triggering cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease, coronary artery insufficiency, penile erectile dysfunction, and circulatory failures in other organs and tissues. Possible prophylactic measures to minimize age-related endothelial dysfunction are also summarized in this review. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention].

PubMed

Gabus, Vincent; Wuerzner, Grégoire; Saubade, Mathieu; Favre, Lucie; Jacot Sadowski, Isabelle; Nanchen, David

2018-02-28

Atherosclerosis is a disease which develops very gradually over decades. Under the influence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol level, smoking or lifestyle, clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis manifest more or less early in life. When cardiovascular risk factors accumulate, the risk of having a cardiovascular event increases and the benefits of prevention measures are greater. This article summarizes existing strategies for controlling modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in primary prevention. The physician can rely on an interprofessional network of cardiovascular prevention. Managing risk factors while respecting the autonomy and priorities of the patient will bring the greatest benefit.

Nutrition in Cardioskeletal Health123

PubMed Central

Hill Gallant, Kathleen M; Weaver, Connie M; Towler, Dwight A; Thuppal, Sowmyanarayanan V; Bailey, Regan L

2016-01-01

Bone and heart health are linked through a variety of cellular, endocrine, and metabolic mechanisms, including the bidirectional effects of mineral-regulating hormones parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor 23. Nutrition plays an important role in the development of both cardiovascular and bone disease. This review describes current knowledge on the relations between the cardiovascular system and bone and the influence of key nutrients involved in mineral metabolism—calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus—on heart and bone health, as well as the racial/ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis and the influence that nutrition has on these disparities. PMID:27184281

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and its influence on women's health.

PubMed

Meczekalski, B; Katulski, K; Czyzyk, A; Podfigurna-Stopa, A; Maciejewska-Jeske, M

2014-11-01

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is one of the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea. There are three types of FHA: weight loss-related, stress-related, and exercise-related amenorrhea. FHA results from the aberrations in pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, which in turn causes impairment of the gonadotropins (follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone). The final consequences are complex hormonal changes manifested by profound hypoestrogenism. Additionally, these patients present mild hypercortisolemia, low serum insulin levels, low insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and low total triiodothyronine. The aim of this work is to review the available data concerning the effects of FHA on different aspects of women's health. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is related to profound impairment of reproductive functions including anovulation and infertility. Women's health in this disorder is disturbed in several aspects including the skeletal system, cardiovascular system, and mental problems. Patients manifest a decrease in bone mass density, which is related to an increase in fracture risk. Therefore, osteopenia and osteoporosis are the main long-term complications of FHA. Cardiovascular complications include endothelial dysfunction and abnormal changes in the lipid profile. FHA patients present significantly higher depression and anxiety and also sexual problems compared to healthy subjects. FHA patients should be carefully diagnosed and properly managed to prevent both short- and long-term medical consequences.

Early exercise-based rehabilitation improves health-related quality of life and functional capacity after acute myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Peixoto, Thatiana C A; Begot, Isis; Bolzan, Douglas W; Machado, Lais; Reis, Michel S; Papa, Valeria; Carvalho, Antonio C C; Arena, Ross; Gomes, Walter J; Guizilini, Solange

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of an early cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program on health-related quality of life (HRQL) and functional capacity in patients who recently experienced an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This program was initiated in the inpatient setting and was followed by an unsupervised outpatient intervention. After the same inpatient care plan, low-risk patients who experienced an AMI were randomized into 2 groups: (1) a control group (CG) (n = 43) entailing usual care and (2) an intervention group (IG) (n = 45) entailing outpatient (unsupervised) CR primarily centered on a progressive walking program. Initially, all patients underwent a supervised exercise program with early mobilization beginning 12 hours after an AMI. On hospital discharge, all patients were classified according to cardiovascular risk. Quality of life was evaluated by the MacNew Heart Disease HRQL questionnaire 30 days after discharge. Functional capacity was determined by a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance on the day of inpatient discharge as well as 30 days afterward. The HRQL global score was higher in the IG compared with the CG 30 days after discharge (P < 0.001); physical and emotional domain scores were both significantly higher in the IG (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the IG showed a greater 6MWT distance compared with the CG (P < 0.001). A CR program based on early progressive exercises, initiated by supervised inpatient training and followed by an unsupervised outpatient program, improved HRQL and functional capacity in patients at low cardiovascular risk who recently experienced an AMI. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the importance of relationship quality: the impact of ambivalence in friendships on cardiovascular functioning.

PubMed

Holt-Lunstad, Julianne; Uchino, Bert N; Smith, Timothy W; Hicks, Angela

2007-06-01

Social relationships are reliably related to rates of morbidity and mortality. One pathway by which social relationships may influence health is via the impact of relationship quality on cardiovascular reactivity during social interactions. This study examined the effects of the quality of a friendship on cardiovascular reactivity when speaking about positive or negative life events with an ambivalent or supportive friend. To examine this, 107 healthy male and female adults (and their same-sex friend) were recruited. Results revealed that participants exhibited the greatest levels of systolic blood pressure reactivity when discussing a negative event with an ambivalent friend compared to a supportive friend. We also found higher resting levels of heart rate and lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia among those who brought in ambivalent friends than those who brought in supportive friends. Individuals may not be able to fully relax in the presence of ambivalent friends and may not benefit from support during stress. This research may help clarify the health-related consequences of differing types of social relationships.

Early Vascular Ageing - A Concept in Development.

PubMed

M Nilsson, Peter

2015-04-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a prevalent condition in the elderly, often associated with metabolic disturbance and type 2 diabetes. For a number of years, research dedicated to understand atherosclerosis dominated, and for many good reasons, this pathophysiological process being proximal to the CVD events. In recent years, research has been devoted to an earlier stage of vascular pathology named arteriosclerosis (arterial stiffness) and the new concept of early vascular ageing (EVA), developed by a group of mostly European researchers. This overview describes recent developments in research dedicated to EVA and new emerging aspects found in studies of families at high cardiovascular risk. There are new aspects related to genetics, telomere biology and the role of gut microbiota. However, there is still no unifying definition available of EVA and no direct treatment, but rather only recommendations for conventional cardiovascular risk factor control. New interventions are being developed - not only new antihypertensive drugs, but also new drugs for vascular protection - the selective angiotensin-II (AT2) agonist Compound 21 (C21). Human studies are eagerly awaited. Even new functional food products could have the potential to positively influence cardiometabolic regulation, to be confirmed.

Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Steinberg, Francene M; Bearden, Monica M; Keen, Carl L

2003-02-01

This paper offers a review of current scientific research regarding the potential cardiovascular health benefits of flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate. Recent reports indicate that the main flavonoids found in cocoa, flavan-3-ols and their oligomeric derivatives, procyanidins, have a variety of beneficial actions, including antioxidant protection and modulation of vascular homeostasis. These findings are supported by similar research on other flavonoid-rich foods. Other constituents in cocoa and chocolate that may also influence cardiovascular health are briefly reviewed. The lipid content of chocolate is relatively high; however, one third of the lipid in cocoa butter is composed of the fat stearic acid, which exerts a neutral cholesterolemic response in humans. Cocoa and chocolate contribute to trace mineral intake, which is necessary for optimum functioning of all biologic systems and for vascular tone. Thus, multiple components in chocolate, particularly flavonoids, can contribute to the complex interplay of nutrition and health. Applications of this knowledge include recommendations by health professionals to encourage individuals to consume a wide range of phytochemical-rich foods, which can include dark chocolate in moderate amounts.

Role of p21-activated kinases in cardiovascular development and function.

PubMed

Kelly, Mollie L; Astsaturov, Artyom; Chernoff, Jonathan

2013-11-01

p21-activated kinases (Paks) are a group of six serine/threonine kinases (Pak1-6) that are involved in a variety of biological processes. Recently, Paks, more specifically Pak1, -2, and -4, have been shown to play important roles in cardiovascular development and function in a range of model organisms including zebrafish and mice. These functions include proper morphogenesis and conductance of the heart, cardiac contractility, and development and integrity of the vasculature. The mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully known, but they likely differ among the various Pak isoforms and include both kinase-dependent and -independent functions. In this review, we discuss aspects of Pak function relevant to cardiovascular biology as well as potential therapeutic implications of small-molecule Pak inhibitors in cardiovascular disease.

The Origin and Advancement of Cardiovascular Physiology in Brazil: The Contribution of Eduardo Krieger to Research Groups

PubMed Central

Vasquez, Elisardo C.

2016-01-01

Since 1996, symposia devoted to the discussion of advances in cardiovascular physiology have been alternately organized by Brazilian research groups, most of which were created or joined by Ph.D. trainees of Eduardo M Krieger. Therefore, as Frontiers in Physiology is publishing a topic devoted to the celebration of the 20th edition of the Brazilian Symposium of Cardiovascular Physiology, it is a great opportunity to talk about the contributions of Eduardo Krieger to the development of cardiovascular physiology. In this historical mini-review, first, the influence of the Argentinian group of Bernardo Houssay and Braun Menéndez on cardiovascular physiology in Brazil is discussed. Second, the contribution of Eduardo Krieger to the creation of several of those groups and to the development of science and technology is reviewed. Finally, the origin and consolidation of the group of Vitoria is highlighted as an example of a research group that was influenced by the University of Sao Paulo-Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto and has trained hundreds of Master and Ph.D. students in the area of cardiovascular research. PMID:27148073

The Origin and Advancement of Cardiovascular Physiology in Brazil: The Contribution of Eduardo Krieger to Research Groups.

PubMed

Vasquez, Elisardo C

2016-01-01

Since 1996, symposia devoted to the discussion of advances in cardiovascular physiology have been alternately organized by Brazilian research groups, most of which were created or joined by Ph.D. trainees of Eduardo M Krieger. Therefore, as Frontiers in Physiology is publishing a topic devoted to the celebration of the 20th edition of the Brazilian Symposium of Cardiovascular Physiology, it is a great opportunity to talk about the contributions of Eduardo Krieger to the development of cardiovascular physiology. In this historical mini-review, first, the influence of the Argentinian group of Bernardo Houssay and Braun Menéndez on cardiovascular physiology in Brazil is discussed. Second, the contribution of Eduardo Krieger to the creation of several of those groups and to the development of science and technology is reviewed. Finally, the origin and consolidation of the group of Vitoria is highlighted as an example of a research group that was influenced by the University of Sao Paulo-Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto and has trained hundreds of Master and Ph.D. students in the area of cardiovascular research.

Attenuated baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity after cardiovascular deconditioning in rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moffitt, J. A.; Foley, C. M.; Schadt, J. C.; Laughlin, M. H.; Hasser, E. M.

1998-01-01

The effect of cardiovascular deconditioning on baroreflex control of the sympathetic nervous system was evaluated after 14 days of hindlimb unloading (HU) or the control condition. Rats were chronically instrumented with catheters and sympathetic nerve recording electrodes for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and recording of lumbar (LSNA) or renal (RSNA) sympathetic nerve activity. Experiments were conducted 24 h after surgery, with the animals in a normal posture. Baroreflex function was assessed using a logistic function that related HR and LSNA or RSNA to MAP during infusion of phenylephrine and nitroprusside. Baroreflex influence on HR was not affected by HU. Maximum baroreflex-elicited LSNA was significantly reduced in HU rats (204 +/- 11.9 vs. 342 +/- 30.6% baseline LSNA), as was maximum reflex gain (-4.0 +/- 0.6 vs. -7.8 +/- 1.3 %LSNA/mmHg). Maximum baroreflex-elicited RSNA (259 +/- 10.8 vs. 453 +/- 28.0% baseline RSNA), minimum baroreflex-elicited RSNA (-2 +/- 2.8 vs. 13 +/- 4.5% baseline RSNA), and maximum gain (-5.8 +/- 0.5 vs. -13.6 +/- 3.1 %RSNA/mmHg) were significantly decreased in HU rats. Results demonstrate that baroreflex modulation of sympathetic nervous system activity is attenuated after cardiovascular deconditioning in rodents. Data suggest that alterations in the arterial baroreflex may contribute to orthostatic intolerance after a period of bedrest or spaceflight in humans.

Influence of antipsychotic agents on heart rate variability in male WKY rats: implications for cardiovascular safety.

PubMed

Wang, Ying-Chieh; Chen, Chun-Yu; Kuo, Terry B J; Lai, Ching-Jung; Yang, Cheryl C H

2012-06-01

Sudden cardiac death is higher among schizophrenic patients and is associated with parasympathetic hypoactivity. Antipsychotic agents are highly suspected to be a precipitating factor. Thus, we aimed to test if the antipsychotics haloperidol, risperidone and clozapine affect cardiac autonomic function, excluding the confounding effect of altered sleep structure by the drugs. In this study, haloperidol, risperidone and clozapine were given separately by intraperitoneal injection to male Wistar-Kyoto rats for 5 days. Electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG) and electrocardiographic signals were recorded at baseline and 5 days after drug treatments. Sleep scoring was based on EEG and EMG signals. Cardiac autonomic function was assessed using heart rate variability analysis. Clozapine increased heart rate and suppressed cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Cardiac acceleration was more severe during sleep. Haloperidol tended to decrease heart rate while risperidone mildly increased heart rate; however, their effects were less obvious than those of clozapine. There was a significant drug-by-stage interaction on several heart rate variability measures. Taking this evidence as a whole, we conclude that haloperidol has a better level of cardiovascular safety than either risperidone or clozapine. Application of this approach to other psychotropic agents in the future will be a useful and helpful way to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of the various psychotropic medications that are in clinical use. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Relationships Between Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Fitness.

PubMed

Moxley, Elizabeth W; Smith, Donald; Quinn, Lauretta; Park, Chang

2018-07-01

Diabetes is a serious health problem affecting approximately 29.1 million individuals in the United States. Another 86 million have prediabetes. The development and implementation of lifestyle modifications such as physical activity for these persons are among the most effective methods for prevention and treatment. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between glycemic control (HbA1c) and cardiovascular fitness (peak maximal oxygen uptake [VO 2 peak] and ventilatory threshold [VT]) in overweight/obese subjects with and without type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In addition, the influences of body mass index (BMI) and insulin sensitivity (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA %S]) on the relationship between glycemic control and cardiovascular fitness were explored. Data were abstracted from a completed study that included 51 overweight or obese subjects with T2DM ( n = 18), impaired glucose tolerance ( n = 8), or normal glucose tolerance ( n = 25). Relationships between glycemic control (HbA1c) and cardiovascular fitness (VO 2 peak and VT) were determined using correlational analysis and multiple linear regression analyses. A statistically significant relationship was observed between HbA1c and cardiovascular fitness. However, BMI and HOMA %S did not influence the relationship between glycemic control and cardiovascular fitness. HbA1c contributes to VO 2 peak and VT in obese and overweight subjects across glucose tolerance categories. Significant results were achieved despite the fact that there was a limited range of HbA1c based on the study inclusion criteria. This finding suggests that even a mild decrease in glycemic control can negatively influence cardiovascular fitness.

Acute effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism on vascular function in healthy older adults.

PubMed

Hwang, Moon-Hyon; Yoo, Jeung-Ki; Luttrell, Meredith; Kim, Han-Kyul; Meade, Thomas H; English, Mark; Talcott, Susanne; Jaffe, Iris Z; Christou, Demetra D

2016-01-01

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation by aldosterone may regulate vascular function in health or contribute to vascular dysfunction in cardiovascular disease. Whether the effects are beneficial or detrimental to vascular function appear to be dependent on the integrity of the vascular endothelium and whether the responses are short-term or chronic. Acute modulation of MR activation has resulted in conflicting outcomes on vascular function in young healthy adults. Little is known about the vascular role of aldosterone and MR activation in healthy human aging. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether acute inhibition of MR by the selective antagonist eplerenone, influences vascular function in healthy older adults. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 22 adults (61±1 years; mean±SE, 53-79 years) who were free from overt clinical cardiovascular disease. We measured brachial artery flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation and endothelium-independent dilation to sublingual nitroglycerin (0.4 mg) following eplerenone (100 mg/dose, 2 doses, 24h between doses) or placebo. In response to acute MR antagonism, flow-mediated dilation decreased by 19% (from 6.9±0.5 to 5.6±0.6%, P=0.02; placebo vs. eplerenone). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity also decreased following MR antagonism based on the ratio of phosphorylated eNOS(Ser1177) to total eNOS (1.53±0.08 vs. 1.29±0.06, P=0.02). Nitroglycerin-induced dilation and blood pressure were unaffected (nitroglycerin-induced dilation: 21.9±1.9 vs. 21.0±1.5%, P=0.5 and systolic/diastolic blood pressure: 135/77±4/2 vs. 134/77±4/2 mmHg, P≥0.6). In conclusion, acute MR antagonism impairs vascular endothelial function in healthy older adults without influencing vascular smooth muscle responsiveness to exogenous nitric oxide or blood pressure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiorespiratory Coupling: Common Rhythms in Cardiac, Sympathetic, and Respiratory Activities

PubMed Central

Dick, Thomas E.; Hsieh, Yee-Hsee; Dhingra, Rishi R.; Baekey, David M.; Galán, Roberto F.; Wehrwein, Erica; Morris, Kendall F.

2014-01-01

Cardiorespiratory coupling is an encompassing term describing more than the well-recognized influences of respiration on heart rate and blood pressure. Our data indicate that cardiorespiratory coupling reflects a reciprocal interaction between autonomic and respiratory control systems, and the cardiovascular system modulates the ventilatory pattern as well. For example, cardioventilatory coupling refers to the influence of heart beats and arterial pulse pressure on respiration and is the tendency for the next inspiration to start at a preferred latency after the last heart beat in expiration. Multiple complementary, well-described mechanisms mediate respiration’s influence on cardiovascular function, whereas mechanisms mediating the cardiovascular system’s influence on respiration may only be through the baroreceptors but are just being identified. Our review will describe a differential effect of conditioning rats with either chronic intermittent or sustained hypoxia on sympathetic nerve activity but also on ventilatory pattern variability. Both intermittent and sustained hypoxia increase sympathetic nerve activity after 2 weeks but affect sympatho-respiratory coupling differentially. Intermittent hypoxia enhances sympatho-respiratory coupling, which is associated with low variability in the ventilatory pattern. In contrast, after constant hypobaric hypoxia, 1-to-1 coupling between bursts of sympathetic and phrenic nerve activity is replaced by 2-to-3 coupling. This change in coupling pattern is associated with increased variability of the ventilatory pattern. After baro-denervating hypobaric hypoxic-conditioned rats, splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity becomes tonic (distinct bursts are absent) with decreases during phrenic nerve bursts and ventilatory pattern becomes regular. Thus, conditioning rats to either intermittent or sustained hypoxia accentuates the reciprocal nature of cardiorespiratory coupling. Finally, identifying a compelling physiologic purpose for cardiorespiratory coupling is the biggest barrier for recognizing its significance. Cardiorespiratory coupling has only a small effect on the efficiency of gas exchange; rather, we propose that cardiorespiratory control system may act as weakly coupled oscillator to maintain rhythms within a bounded variability. PMID:24746049

Physical activity and the elderly.

PubMed

Hollmann, Wildor; Strüder, Heiko K; Tagarakis, Christos V M; King, Gerard

2007-12-01

Functional ageing processes are characterized by a loss of performance capabilities regarding coordination, flexibility, strength, speed, and endurance. The effects of ageing processes on the cardiovascular system and skeletal muscle are the foci of attention. After age 30, the maximum aerobic dynamic performance capacity decreases by an average of 8% per decade. The causes are mainly a reduction in the maximum cardiac output and decreases in capillarization and in the skeletal muscle mass. An improvement in the maximum oxygen uptake by 18% and in the aerobic-anaerobic threshold by 22% was achieved in untrained men aged 55-70 years, in a 12-week-long bicycle ergometer-training programme. The strength of the skeletal muscle decreases particularly after 50-60 years of age. The main cause is the reduction in the number of motor units and muscle fibres. Further, modifications of the endothelial function and the development of sarcopenia are of particular importance in ageing processes. General aerobic dynamic training can improve the endothelial function in old age and thus help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Strength training is most appropriate for the prevention of sarcopenia. Imaging techniques over the last 20 years have provided new findings on the influence and the significance of physical activity on the brain. We call this new interdisciplinary area 'Exercise Neuroscience'. Demands on coordination and aerobic dynamic endurance are suitable in counteracting age-related neuronal cellular loss, synapsis hypotrophy, and in improving neurogenesis and capillarization. Adjusted physical activity is thus capable of counteracting age-related changes and performance loss not only in the cardiovascular system but also in the brain.

Microcirculatory function in postmenopausal women: role of aging, hormonal exposure and metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Clapauch, Ruth; Mecenas, Anete S; Maranhão, Priscila A; Bouskela, Eliete

2009-12-01

Menopausal hormone therapy (HT) has shown conflicting cardiovascular endpoints, depending on the women studied. The endothelium is the main site for sex steroids cardiovascular action. To assess the influence of age, previous hormonal exposure and of metabolic syndrome (MS) on microcirculatory function, we studied 68 normotensive non-diabetic postmenopausal women, 34-70 years old, by dynamic nailfold videocapillaroscopy evaluating red blood cell velocity (RBCV) at baseline and during the reactive hyperemia response after 1 min ischemia (RBCV(max)) and time taken to reach it (TRBCV(max)). There was an inverse correlation between RBCV and RBCV(max), versus age (p=0.02 for both) and time since menopause (TSM, p=0.01 and p=0.03, respectively). Women who used oral contraceptives in the past showed higher RBCV (1.51+/-0.10 vs. 1.43+/-0.09 mm/s, p=0.01) and RBCV(max) (1.70+/-0.11 vs. 1.63+/-0.07 mm/s, p=0.03) compared to never user ones. A longer time after menopause without HT was associated to lower RBCV(max) (p=0.05). Women with MS had longer TRBCV(max) (9.85+/-1.77 vs. 8.47+/-1.71 s, p=0.02), as well as those with higher hematocrit, hemoglobin and leukocyte counts (p=0.03, p=0.01 and p=0.03, respectively) and lower HDL (p=0.03). In conclusion, in postmenopausal women of low cardiovascular risk, advanced age, longer TSM, longer time after menopause without HT and MS were associated to microcirculatory function impairment, whereas past use of oral contraceptives seemed to have a protective effect.

G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor 1 (GPER1)/GPR30: a new player in cardiovascular and metabolic oestrogenic signalling.

PubMed

Nilsson, Bengt-Olof; Olde, Björn; Leeb-Lundberg, L M Fredrik

2011-07-01

Oestrogens are important sex hormones central to health and disease in both genders that have protective effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. These hormones act in complex ways via both genomic and non-genomic mechanisms. The genomic mechanisms are relatively well characterized, whereas the non-genomic ones are only beginning to be explored. Two oestrogen receptors (ER), ERα and ERβ, have been described that act as nuclear transcription factors but can also associate with the plasma membrane and influence cytosolic signalling. ERα has been shown to mediate both anti-atherogenic effects and pro-survival effects in pancreatic β-cells. In recent years, a third membrane-bound ER has emerged, G protein-coupled receptor 30 or G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), which mediates oestrogenic responses in cardiovascular and metabolic regulation. Both GPER1 knock-out models and pharmacological agents are now available to study GPER1 function. These tools have revealed that GPER1 activation may have several beneficial effects in the cardiovascular system including vasorelaxation, inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation, and protection of the myocardium against ischaemia/reperfusion injury, and in the metabolic system including stimulation of insulin release and protection against pancreatic β-cell apoptosis. Thus, GPER1 is emerging as a candidate therapeutic target in both cardiovascular and metabolic disease. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

21 CFR 870.3720 - Pacemaker electrode function tester.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Pacemaker electrode function tester. 870.3720... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3720 Pacemaker electrode function tester. (a) Identification. A pacemaker electrode function tester is a device which is...

21 CFR 870.3720 - Pacemaker electrode function tester.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pacemaker electrode function tester. 870.3720... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3720 Pacemaker electrode function tester. (a) Identification. A pacemaker electrode function tester is a device which is...

21 CFR 870.3630 - Pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3630... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3630 Pacemaker generator function analyzer. (a) Identification. A pacemaker generator function analyzer is a device that is...

21 CFR 870.3720 - Pacemaker electrode function tester.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Pacemaker electrode function tester. 870.3720... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3720 Pacemaker electrode function tester. (a) Identification. A pacemaker electrode function tester is a device which is...

21 CFR 870.3720 - Pacemaker electrode function tester.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Pacemaker electrode function tester. 870.3720... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3720 Pacemaker electrode function tester. (a) Identification. A pacemaker electrode function tester is a device which is...

21 CFR 870.3630 - Pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3630... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3630 Pacemaker generator function analyzer. (a) Identification. A pacemaker generator function analyzer is a device that is...

21 CFR 870.3630 - Pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3630... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3630 Pacemaker generator function analyzer. (a) Identification. A pacemaker generator function analyzer is a device that is...

21 CFR 870.3630 - Pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3630... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3630 Pacemaker generator function analyzer. (a) Identification. A pacemaker generator function analyzer is a device that is...

Inflammation, Endothelial Dysfunction and Arterial Stiffness as Therapeutic Targets in Cardiovascular Medicine.

PubMed

Della Corte, Vittoriano; Tuttolomondo, Antonino; Pecoraro, Rosaria; Di Raimondo, Domenico; Vassallo, Valerio; Pinto, Antonio

2016-01-01

In the last decades, many factors thought to be associated with the atherosclerotic process and cardiovascular events have been studied, and some of these have been shown to correlate with clinical outcome, such as arterial stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and immunoinflammatory markers. Arterial stiffness is an important surrogate marker that describes the capability of an artery to expand and contract in response to pressure changes. It can be assessed with different techniques, such as the evaluation of PWV and AIx. It is related to central systolic pressure and it is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients, type 2 diabetes, end-stage renal disease and in elderly populations. The endothelium has emerged as the key regulator of vascular homeostasis, in fact, it has not merely a barrier function but also acts as an active signal transducer for circulating influences that modify the vessel wall phenotype. When its function is lost, it predisposes the vasculature to vasoconstriction, leukocyte adherence, platelet activation, thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Non-invasive methods were developed to evaluate endothelial function, such as the assesment of FMD, L-FMC and RHI. Moreover in the last years, a large number of studies have clarified the role of inflammation and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to atherogenesis. For clinical purposes, the most promising inflammatory biomarker appears to be CRP and a variety of population-based studies have showed that baseline CRP levels predict future cardiovascular events. Each of the markers listed above has its importance from the pathophysiological and clinical point of view, and those can also be good therapeutic targets. However, it must be stressed that assessments of these vascular markers are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary and those can offer different views of the same pathology. The purpose of this review is to analyze the role of arterial stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and immunoinflammatory markers as surrogate endpoint, assessing the correlations between these markers and evaluating the therapeutic perspectives that these offer.

Beneficial and adverse effects of testosterone on the cardiovascular system in men.

PubMed

Ruige, Johannes B; Ouwens, D Margriet; Kaufman, Jean-Marc

2013-11-01

The widespread use of T therapy, particularly in aging males, necessitates knowledge of the relationship between T and the cardiovascular system. The review is based on a 1970 to 2013 PubMed search with terms related to androgens in combination with cardiovascular disease, including T, dihydrotestosterone, trial, mortality, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, blood pressure, endothelial function, dyslipidemia, thrombosis, ventricular function, and arrhythmia. Original articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and relevant citations were screened. Low T has been linked to increased blood pressure, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, thrombosis, endothelial dysfunction, as well as to impaired left ventricular function. On the one hand, a modest association is suggested between low endogenous T and incident cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular mortality, implying unrecognized beneficial T effects, residual confounding, or a relationship with health status. On the other hand, treatments with T to restore "normal concentrations" have so far not been proven to be beneficial with respect to cardiovascular disease; neither have they definitely shown specific adverse cardiovascular effects. The cardiovascular risk-benefit profile of T therapy remains largely evasive in view of a lack of well-designed and adequately powered randomized clinical trials. The important knowledge gap as to the exact relationship between T and cardiovascular disease would support a cautious, restrained approach to T therapy in aging men, pending clarification of benefits and risks by adequately powered clinical trials of sufficient duration.

Childhood obesity and cardiac remodeling: from cardiac structure to myocardial mechanics.

PubMed

Tadic, Marijana; Cuspidi, Cesare

2015-08-01

Epidemic of obesity, especially morbid obesity, among children and adolescents, is a key factor associated with the dramatic increase in prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome in this population. Furthermore, childhood obesity represents a very important predictor of obesity in adulthood that is related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are associated with impairment of cardiac structure and function. The majority of studies investigated the influence of obesity on left ventricular remodeling. However, the impact of obesity on the right ventricle, both the atria, and myocardial mechanics has been insufficiently studied. The aim of this review article is to summarize all data about heart remodeling in childhood, from cardiac size, throughout systolic and diastolic function, to myocardial mechanics, using a wide range of mainly echocardiographic techniques and parameters. Additionally, we sought to present current knowledge about the influence of weight loss, achieved by various therapeutic approaches, on the improvement of cardiac geometry, structure, and function in obese children and adolescents.

Fitness and Mobility Exercise (FAME) Program for stroke

PubMed Central

Eng, Janice J.

2011-01-01

Given the potential of exercise to positively influence so many physical and psychosocial domains, the Fitness and Mobility Exercise (FAME) Program was developed to address the multiple impairments arising from the chronic health condition of stroke. We present the details of this exercise program and the evidence which has shown that the FAME Program can improve motor function (muscle strength, balance, walking), cardiovascular fitness, bone density, executive functions and memory. The FAME Program can help to improve the physical and cognitive abilities of people living with a stroke and reduce the risk of secondary complications such as falls, fractures and heart disease. PMID:22287825

The influence of trait and state rumination on cardiovascular recovery from a negative emotional stressor.

PubMed

Key, Brenda L; Campbell, Tavis S; Bacon, Simon L; Gerin, William

2008-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of trait and state rumination on cardiovascular recovery following a negative emotional stressor. Cardiovascular data was collected from 64 undergraduate women during a 10-min baseline period, 5-min emotional recall stress task, and a 15-min recovery period. Trait rumination was assessed using the Stress Reactive Rumination Scale and state rumination was assessed 5 and 10 min after the stressor, using a thought-report technique. Results indicated that trait and state rumination interacted such that low trait ruminators who were ruminating at 10 min after the termination of the stressor had poorer diastolic blood pressure and high-frequency heart rate variability recovery compared to low trait ruminators who were not ruminating. State rumination was not associated with cardiovascular recovery in high trait ruminators. Results suggest that rumination may play a role in the association between stress and hypertension by prolonging cardiovascular activation following stress.

Geomagnetic storm under laboratory conditions: randomized experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurfinkel, Yu I.; Vasin, A. L.; Pishchalnikov, R. Yu; Sarimov, R. M.; Sasonko, M. L.; Matveeva, T. A.

2017-10-01

The influence of the previously recorded geomagnetic storm (GS) on human cardiovascular system and microcirculation has been studied under laboratory conditions. Healthy volunteers in lying position were exposed under two artificially created conditions: quiet (Q) and storm (S). The Q regime playbacks a noise-free magnetic field (MF) which is closed to the natural geomagnetic conditions on Moscow's latitude. The S regime playbacks the initially recorded 6-h geomagnetic storm which is repeated four times sequentially. The cardiovascular response to the GS impact was assessed by measuring capillary blood velocity (CBV) and blood pressure (BP) and by the analysis of the 24-h ECG recording. A storm-to-quiet ratio for the cardio intervals (CI) and the heart rate variability (HRV) was introduced in order to reveal the average over group significant differences of HRV. An individual sensitivity to the GS was estimated using the autocorrelation function analysis of the high-frequency (HF) part of the CI spectrum. The autocorrelation analysis allowed for detection a group of subjects of study which autocorrelation functions (ACF) react differently in the Q and S regimes of exposure.

Geomagnetic storm under laboratory conditions: randomized experiment.

PubMed

Gurfinkel, Yu I; Vasin, A L; Pishchalnikov, R Yu; Sarimov, R M; Sasonko, M L; Matveeva, T A

2018-04-01

The influence of the previously recorded geomagnetic storm (GS) on human cardiovascular system and microcirculation has been studied under laboratory conditions. Healthy volunteers in lying position were exposed under two artificially created conditions: quiet (Q) and storm (S). The Q regime playbacks a noise-free magnetic field (MF) which is closed to the natural geomagnetic conditions on Moscow's latitude. The S regime playbacks the initially recorded 6-h geomagnetic storm which is repeated four times sequentially. The cardiovascular response to the GS impact was assessed by measuring capillary blood velocity (CBV) and blood pressure (BP) and by the analysis of the 24-h ECG recording. A storm-to-quiet ratio for the cardio intervals (CI) and the heart rate variability (HRV) was introduced in order to reveal the average over group significant differences of HRV. An individual sensitivity to the GS was estimated using the autocorrelation function analysis of the high-frequency (HF) part of the CI spectrum. The autocorrelation analysis allowed for detection a group of subjects of study which autocorrelation functions (ACF) react differently in the Q and S regimes of exposure.

Alanine increases blood pressure during hypotension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conlay, L. A.; Maher, T. J.; Wurtman, R. J.

1990-01-01

The effect of L-alanine administration on blood pressure (BP) during haemorrhagic shock was investigated using anesthetized rats whose left carotid arteries were cannulated for BP measurement, blood removal, and drug administration. It was found that L-alanine, in doses of 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, increased the systolic BP of hypotensive rats by 38 to 80 percent (while 100 mg/kg pyruvate increased BP by only 9.4 mmhg, not significantly different from saline). The results suggest that L-alanine might influence cardiovascular function.

The influence of lifestyle on cardiovascular risk factors. Analysis using a neural network.

PubMed

Gueli, Nicoló; Piccirillo, Gianfanco; Troisi, Giovanni; Cicconetti, Paolo; Meloni, Fortunato; Ettorre, Evaristo; Verico, Paola; D'Arcangelo, Enzo; Cacciafesta, Mauro

2005-01-01

The cardiovascular pathologies are the most common causes of death in the elderly patient. To single out the main risk factors in order to effectively prevent the onset of the disease, the authors experimented a special computerized tool, the neural network, that works out a mathematical relation that can obtain certain data (defined as output) as a function of other data (defined as input). Data were processed from a sample of 276 subjects of both sexes aged 26-69 years old. The output data were: high/low cholesterolemia, HDL cholesterol, triglyceridemia with respect to an established cut-off; the input data were: sex, age, build, weight, married/single, number of children, number of cigarettes smoked/day, amount of wine and number of cups of coffee. We conclude that: (i) a relationship exists, deduced from a neural network, between a set of input variables and a dichotomous output variable; (ii) this relationship can be expressed as a mathematical function; (iii) a neural network, having learned the data on a sufficiently large population, can provide valid predictive data for a single individual with a high probability (up to 93.33%) that the response it gives is correct. In this study, such a result is found for two of the three cardiovascular risk indicators considered (cholesterol and triglycerides); (iv) the repetition of the neural network analysis of the cases in question after a "pruning" operation provided a somewhat less good performance; (v) a statistical analysis conducted on those same cases has confirmed the existence of a strong relationship between the input and the output variables. Therefore the neural network is a valid instrument for providing predictive in a single subject on cardiovascular pathology risks.

Persistent Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Cardiovascular Risk in the Elderly: The Cardiovascular Health Study

PubMed Central

Hyland, Kristen A.; Arnold, Alice M.; Lee, Jennifer S.

2013-01-01

Context: Use of a single set of thyroid function tests to define subclinical hypothyroidism may lead to misclassification over time and could influence findings from longitudinal studies. Objective: We assessed the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), and cardiovascular (CV) death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism. Design, Setting, and Participants: The study included 679 subclinically hypothyroid and 4184 euthyroid U.S. individuals at least 65 yr old enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study and not taking thyroid preparations. Main Outcome Measure: We measured the 10-yr risk of incident CHD, HF, and CV death from persistent subclinical hypothyroidism, overall and stratified by degree of TSH elevation (4.5–6.9, 7.0–9.9, and 10.0–19.9 mU/liter). Results: There was no association between persistent subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD [hazard ratio (HR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93–1.36], HF (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.97–1.27), or CV death (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.87–1.31) in adjusted analyses in which subclinical hypothyroidism was modeled as a time-varying exposure using up to four serial thyroid function tests. When subclinical hypothyroidism was stratified by degree of TSH elevation, no significant associations were found in any stratum. Findings were similar in fixed exposure analyses in which only participants with testing 2 yr apart were considered, with no association between persistent or transient subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD, HF, or CV death. Conclusions: Our data do not support increased risk of CHD, HF, or CV death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism. PMID:23162099

[Adverse effects of ultrafine particles on the cardiovascular system and its mechanisms].

PubMed

Yi, Tie-ci; Li, Jian-ping

2014-12-18

Cardiovascular disease is one of the major threats to human. Air pollution, which , as it become a problem too serious to be ignored in China, is known to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Among all pollutants, ultrafine particles ( UFPs) , defined as particles with their diameter less than 0. 1 f.Lm, are a specific composition. They are very small in size, large in quantity and surface area, and most important, capable of passing through the air-blood barrier. These unique features of UFPs make them special in their impact on cardiovascular system. Nowadays, the influence of UFPs on the cardiovascular system has become a hot topic. On the one side, studies have shown that UFPs can cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the lung, and then induce systemic inflammation by releasing cytokine and reactive oxygen species into the circulation. On the other side, UFPs themselves can "spillout"into the circulation and interact with their targets. By this way, UFPs directly affect endothelial cells, myocardial cells and the autonomic nervous system, which ultimately result in increased cardiovascular events. We intend to make an overview about the recent progress about the influence of UFPs on human cardiovascular disease and the related mechanisms, and argue for more attention to this issue.

Cognitive Benefits of Exercise Intervention.

PubMed

Archer, T; Ricci, S; Massoni, F; Ricci, L; Rapp-Ricciardi, M

2016-01-01

Exercise, as a potent epigenetic regulator, implies the potential to counteract pathophysiological processes and alterations in most cardiovascular/respiratory cells and tissues not withstanding a paucity of understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and doseresponse relationships. In the present account, the assets accruing from physical exercise and its influence upon executive functioning are examined. Under conditions of neuropsychiatric and neurologic ill-health, age-related deterioration of functional and biomarker indicators during healthy and disordered trajectories, neuroimmune and affective unbalance, and epigenetic pressures, exercise offers a large harvest of augmentations in health and well-being. Both animal models and human studies support the premise of manifest gains from regular exercise within several domains, besides cognitive function and mood, notably as the agency of a noninvasive, readily available therapeutic intervention.

Sex Differences in the Relation of Body Composition to Cardiovascular Parameters and Functions in Korean Adolescents: A School-Based Study

PubMed Central

Song, Young-Hwan; Kim, Hae Soon; Park, Hae Sook; Jung, Jo Won; Kim, Nam Su; Noh, Chung Il; Hong, Young Mi

2014-01-01

Objective Obesity in adolescence is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The patterns of obesity and body composition differ between boys and girls. It is uncertain how body composition correlates with the cardiovascular system and whether such correlations differ by sex in adolescents. Methods Body composition (fat-free mass (FFM), adipose mass, waist circumference (WC)) and cardiovascular parameters and functions were studied in 676 healthy Korean adolescents aged 12-16 years. Partial correlation and path analyses were done. Results WC correlated with stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP), cardiac diastolic function (ratio of early to late filling velocity (E/A ratio)), and vascular function (pulse wave velocity (PWV)) in boys. Adipose mass was related to SV, CO, SBP, PP, left ventricular mass (LVM), and PWV in girls – and to E/A ratio in both sexes. FFM affected SV, CO, SBP, and PP in both sexes and LVM in boys. Cardiac systolic functions had no relation with any body composition variable in either sex. Conclusion In adolescence, the interdependence of the cardiovascular system and the body composition differs between sexes. Understanding of those relations is required to control adolescent obesity and prevent adult cardiovascular disease. PMID:24820977

Cardiovascular disease and cognitive function in maintenance hemodialysis patients

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive impairment are common in dialysis patients. Given the proposed role of microvascular disease on cognitive function, particularly cognitive domains that incorporate executive functions, we hypothesized that prevalent systemic CVD would be associated with wor...

Distinctive Steady-State Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Responses to Passive Robotic Leg Exercise and Functional Electrical Stimulation during Head-Up Tilt.

PubMed

Sarabadani Tafreshi, Amirehsan; Riener, Robert; Klamroth-Marganska, Verena

2016-01-01

Introduction: Tilt tables enable early mobilization of patients by providing verticalization. But there is a high risk of orthostatic hypotension provoked by verticalization, especially after neurological diseases such as spinal cord injury. Robot-assisted tilt tables might be an alternative as they add passive robotic leg exercise (PE) that can be enhanced with functional electrical stimulation (FES) to the verticalization, thus reducing the risk of orthostatic hypotension. We hypothesized that the influence of PE on the cardiovascular system during verticalization (i.e., head-up tilt) depends on the verticalization angle, and FES strengthens the PE influence. To test our hypotheses, we investigated the PE effects on the cardiovascular parameters heart rate (HR), and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (sBP, dBP) at different angles of verticalization in a healthy population. Methods: Ten healthy subjects on a robot-assisted tilt table underwent four different study protocols while HR, sBP, and dBP were measured: (1) head-up tilt to 60° and 71° without PE; (2) PE at 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt; (3) PE while constant FES intensity was applied to the leg muscles, at 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt; (4) PE with variation of the applied FES intensity at 0°, 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt. Linear mixed models were used to model changes in HR, sBP, and dBP responses. Results: The models show that: (1) head-up tilt alone resulted in statistically significant increases in HR and dBP, but no change in sBP. (2) PE during head-up tilt resulted in statistically significant changes in HR, sBP, and dBP, but not at each angle and not always in the same direction (i.e., increase or decrease of cardiovascular parameters). Neither adding (3) FES at constant intensity to PE nor (4) variation of FES intensity during PE had any statistically significant effects on the cardiovascular parameters. Conclusion: The effect of PE on the cardiovascular system during head-up tilt is strongly dependent on the verticalization angle. Therefore, we conclude that orthostatic hypotension cannot be prevented by PE alone, but that the preventive effect depends on the verticalization angle of the robot-assisted tilt table. FES (independent of intensity) is not an important contributing factor to the PE effect.

Distinctive Steady-State Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Responses to Passive Robotic Leg Exercise and Functional Electrical Stimulation during Head-Up Tilt

PubMed Central

Sarabadani Tafreshi, Amirehsan; Riener, Robert; Klamroth-Marganska, Verena

2016-01-01

Introduction: Tilt tables enable early mobilization of patients by providing verticalization. But there is a high risk of orthostatic hypotension provoked by verticalization, especially after neurological diseases such as spinal cord injury. Robot-assisted tilt tables might be an alternative as they add passive robotic leg exercise (PE) that can be enhanced with functional electrical stimulation (FES) to the verticalization, thus reducing the risk of orthostatic hypotension. We hypothesized that the influence of PE on the cardiovascular system during verticalization (i.e., head-up tilt) depends on the verticalization angle, and FES strengthens the PE influence. To test our hypotheses, we investigated the PE effects on the cardiovascular parameters heart rate (HR), and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (sBP, dBP) at different angles of verticalization in a healthy population. Methods: Ten healthy subjects on a robot-assisted tilt table underwent four different study protocols while HR, sBP, and dBP were measured: (1) head-up tilt to 60° and 71° without PE; (2) PE at 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt; (3) PE while constant FES intensity was applied to the leg muscles, at 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt; (4) PE with variation of the applied FES intensity at 0°, 20°, 40°, and 60° of head-up tilt. Linear mixed models were used to model changes in HR, sBP, and dBP responses. Results: The models show that: (1) head-up tilt alone resulted in statistically significant increases in HR and dBP, but no change in sBP. (2) PE during head-up tilt resulted in statistically significant changes in HR, sBP, and dBP, but not at each angle and not always in the same direction (i.e., increase or decrease of cardiovascular parameters). Neither adding (3) FES at constant intensity to PE nor (4) variation of FES intensity during PE had any statistically significant effects on the cardiovascular parameters. Conclusion: The effect of PE on the cardiovascular system during head-up tilt is strongly dependent on the verticalization angle. Therefore, we conclude that orthostatic hypotension cannot be prevented by PE alone, but that the preventive effect depends on the verticalization angle of the robot-assisted tilt table. FES (independent of intensity) is not an important contributing factor to the PE effect. PMID:28018240

Nutrigenomics in cardiovascular disease: implications for the future.

PubMed

Engler, Mary B

2009-12-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a complex multifactorial disease which is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. There is substantial evidence on the relationship between diet and CVD risk. An understanding of how genetic variation interacts with the diet to influence CVD risk is a rapidly evolving area of research. Since diet is the mainstay of risk factor modification, it is important to consider potential genetic influences on CVD risk. Nutrigenomics is the study of the interaction between diet and an individual's genetic makeup. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are the key factors in human genetic variation and provide a molecular basis for phenotypic differences between individuals. Whole genome and candidate gene association studies are two main approaches used in cardiovascular genetics to identify disease-causing genes. Recent nutrigenomics studies show the influence of genotype on the responsiveness to dietary factors or nutrients that may reduce CVD risk. Nutrigenomics research is expected to provide the scientific evidence for genotype-based personalized nutrition to promote health and prevent chronic disease, including CVD. It is imperative that healthcare providers, including cardiovascular nurses, are trained in genetics to foster delivery of competent genetic- and genomic-focused care and to facilitate incorporation of this new knowledge into current clinical practice, education, and research.

Metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk in PCOS.

PubMed

Cussons, Andrea J; Stuckey, Bronwyn G A; Watts, Gerald F

2007-02-01

The cardiovascular risk associated with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has recently attracted much interest. Women with PCOS are more likely to fulfill the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of related cardiometabolic factors known to predict long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. We review the literature pertaining to the link between the metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and PCOS. We focus on the influence of obesity and hyperandrogenemia, and on strategies for identifying cardiovascular risk in PCOS.

Falls and Fall-Prevention in Older Persons: Geriatrics Meets Spaceflight!

PubMed Central

Goswami, Nandu

2017-01-01

This paper provides a general overview of key physiological consequences of microgravity experienced during spaceflight and of important parallels and connections to the physiology of aging. Microgravity during spaceflight influences cardiovascular function, cerebral autoregulation, musculoskeletal, and sensorimotor system performance. A great deal of research has been carried out to understand these influences and to provide countermeasures to reduce the observed negative consequences of microgravity on physiological function. Such research can inform and be informed by research related to physiological changes and the deterioration of physiological function due to aging. For example, head-down bedrest is used as a model to study effects of spaceflight deconditioning due to reduced gravity. As hospitalized older persons spend up to 80% of their time in bed, the deconditioning effects of bedrest confinement on physiological functions and parallels with spaceflight deconditioning can be exploited to understand and combat both variations of deconditioning. Deconditioning due to bed confinement in older persons can contribute to a downward spiral of increasing frailty, orthostatic intolerance, falls, and fall-related injury. As astronauts in space spend substantial amounts of time carrying out exercise training to counteract the microgravity-induced deconditioning and to counteract orthostatic intolerance on return to Earth, it is logical to suggest some of these interventions for bed-confined older persons. Synthesizing knowledge regarding deconditioning due to reduced gravitational stress in space and deconditioning during bed confinement allows for a more comprehensive approach that can incorporate aspects such as (mal-) nutrition, muscle strength and function, cardiovascular (de-) conditioning, and cardio-postural interactions. The impact of such integration can provide new insights and lead to methods of value for both space medicine and geriatrics (Geriatrics meets spaceflight!). In particular, such integration can lead to procedures that address the morbidity and the mortality associated with bedrest immobilization and in the rising health care costs associated with an aging population demographic. PMID:29075195

Falls and Fall-Prevention in Older Persons: Geriatrics Meets Spaceflight!

PubMed

Goswami, Nandu

2017-01-01

This paper provides a general overview of key physiological consequences of microgravity experienced during spaceflight and of important parallels and connections to the physiology of aging. Microgravity during spaceflight influences cardiovascular function, cerebral autoregulation, musculoskeletal, and sensorimotor system performance. A great deal of research has been carried out to understand these influences and to provide countermeasures to reduce the observed negative consequences of microgravity on physiological function. Such research can inform and be informed by research related to physiological changes and the deterioration of physiological function due to aging. For example, head-down bedrest is used as a model to study effects of spaceflight deconditioning due to reduced gravity. As hospitalized older persons spend up to 80% of their time in bed, the deconditioning effects of bedrest confinement on physiological functions and parallels with spaceflight deconditioning can be exploited to understand and combat both variations of deconditioning. Deconditioning due to bed confinement in older persons can contribute to a downward spiral of increasing frailty, orthostatic intolerance, falls, and fall-related injury. As astronauts in space spend substantial amounts of time carrying out exercise training to counteract the microgravity-induced deconditioning and to counteract orthostatic intolerance on return to Earth, it is logical to suggest some of these interventions for bed-confined older persons. Synthesizing knowledge regarding deconditioning due to reduced gravitational stress in space and deconditioning during bed confinement allows for a more comprehensive approach that can incorporate aspects such as (mal-) nutrition, muscle strength and function, cardiovascular (de-) conditioning, and cardio-postural interactions. The impact of such integration can provide new insights and lead to methods of value for both space medicine and geriatrics (Geriatrics meets spaceflight!). In particular, such integration can lead to procedures that address the morbidity and the mortality associated with bedrest immobilization and in the rising health care costs associated with an aging population demographic.

Racism and cardiovascular disease: implications for nursing.

PubMed

Jackson, Jennifer; McGibbon, Elizabeth; Waldron, Ingrid

2013-01-01

The social determinants of health (SDH) are recognized as a prominent influence on health outcomes across the lifespan. Racism is identified as a key SDH. In this article, the authors describe the concept of racism as an SDH, its impact in discriminatory actions and inactions, and the implications for cardiovascular nurses. Although research in Canada on the links among racism, stress, and cardiovascular disease is limited, there is growing evidence about the stress of racism and its long-term impact on cardiovascular health. The authors discuss how cardiovascular nursing could be enhanced through an understanding of racism-related stress, and race-based differences in cardiovascular care. The authors conclude with strategies for action to address this nursing concern.

The interaction of fatigue, physical activity, and health-related quality of life in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

PubMed

Newland, Pamela K; Lunsford, Valerie; Flach, Alicia

2017-02-01

In addition to the underlying health problems and disability associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), adults with each of these chronic illnesses are independently known to experience fatigue. While fatigue's influence on physical activity and health related quality of life (HRQOL) with each of these illnesses has been discussed, what is lacking is information on how fatigue impacts physical activity and health related quality of life, and ultimately self-management for adults with these conditions. Additionally, individuals may be unaware of the significance of maintaining optimal physical activity in order to maintain everyday function and self-management. Thus, the purpose of this article is to discuss the complex effect of fatigue on physical activity and HRQOL among adults with MS and CVD, and to present potential self-management strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 70933 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

...] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... of Committee: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committees... appropriate clinical study design for thromboxane receptor antagonists for prevention of cardiovascular events...

The mysterious light of dark chocolate.

PubMed

Şentürk, Tunay; Günay, Şeyda

2015-03-01

A healthy diet plays a key role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. Dark chocolate in particular has been shown to improve endothelial functions and lipid profile and to have cardiovascular protective effects via an inhibitory action on platelet functions. Recently, several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of chocolate, primarily on hypertension and other conditions such as coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia. The present review provides a summary of the ingredients, bioavailability and cardiovascular protective effects of chocolate / cocoa and the published effects of chocolate on a number of cardiovascular diseases.

Glycosylated Chromogranin A: Potential Role in the Pathogenesis of Heart Failure.

PubMed

Ottesen, Anett H; Christensen, Geir; Omland, Torbjørn; Røsjø, Helge

2017-12-01

Endocrine and paracrine factors influence the cardiovascular system and the heart by a number of different mechanisms. The chromogranin-secretogranin (granin) proteins seem to represent a new family of proteins that exerts both direct and indirect effects on cardiac and vascular functions. The granin proteins are produced in multiple tissues, including cardiac cells, and circulating granin protein concentrations provide incremental prognostic information to established risk indices in patients with myocardial dysfunction. In this review, we provide recent data for the granin proteins in relation with cardiovascular disease, and with a special focus on chromogranin A and heart failure. Chromogranin A is the most studied member of the granin protein family, and shorter, functionally active peptide fragments of chromogranin A exert protective effects on myocardial cell death, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cardiomyocyte Ca 2+ handling. Granin peptides have also been found to induce angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Protein glycosylation is an important post-translational regulatory mechanism, and we recently found chromogranin A molecules to be hyperglycosylated in the failing myocardium. Chromogranin A hyperglycosylation impaired processing of full-length chromogranin A molecules into physiologically active chromogranin A peptides, and patients with acute heart failure and low rate of chromogranin A processing had increased mortality compared to other acute heart failure patients. Other studies have also demonstrated that circulating granin protein concentrations increase in parallel with heart failure disease stage. The granin protein family seems to influence heart failure pathophysiology, and chromogranin A hyperglycosylation could directly be implicated in heart failure disease progression.

Epigenetics and cardiovascular disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite advances in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), this group of multifactorial disorders remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. CVD is associated with multiple genetic and modifiable risk factors; however, known environmental and genetic influences can only...

The influence of the work environment on cardiovascular health: a historical, conceptual, and methodological perspective.

PubMed

Kasl, S V

1996-01-01

The framework of psychosocial epidemiology is used to examine research developments that characterize the accumulation of knowledge regarding the role of the work environment in cardiovascular health and disease. The discussion of current programs of research focuses on the work of T. Theorell and R. Karasek (1996) and J. Siegrist (1996) as exemplars of European and American studies that have contributed the most to the understanding of occupational cardiovascular health. It is argued that researchers need to maintain and nurture relatively broad conceptual models of etiology because cardiovascular disease involves multiple biomedical risk factors and because specific aspects of the work environment are embedded in a large, complex matrix of other psychosocial influences. At the same time, investigators need to push ahead with focused research strategies to clarify the precise nature of the work environmental risk factors that emerge in the broad, somewhat imprecise epidemiologic study designs.

[Pharmaco-economics of hypolipidemic agents: analysis of factors influencing the cost-effectiveness relation].

PubMed

Scheen, A J

1998-05-01

The demonstration that stains reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, in both secondary and primary prevention trials, led to the recent publication of sophisticated pharmaco-economical studies. A lot of factors may influence the cost-effectiveness ratio of the pharmacological intervention, especially the mode of calculation of various costs, the initial level of cardiovascular risk of the patients and the medico-economical particularities of each country. What so ever, available studies appear to justify the use of statins in secondary prevention, i.e. in coronary patients, even those with only a moderate hypercholesterolaemia, and, in primary prevention, i.e in hypercholesterolaemia individuals with obvious high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Complications of acromegaly: cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic comorbidities.

PubMed

Pivonello, Rosario; Auriemma, Renata S; Grasso, Ludovica F S; Pivonello, Claudia; Simeoli, Chiara; Patalano, Roberta; Galdiero, Mariano; Colao, Annamaria

2017-02-01

Acromegaly is associated with an enhanced mortality, with cardiovascular and respiratory complications representing not only the most frequent comorbidities but also two of the main causes of deaths, whereas a minor role is played by metabolic complications, and particularly diabetes mellitus. The most prevalent cardiovascular complications of acromegaly include a cardiomyopathy, characterized by cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic and systolic dysfunction together with arterial hypertension, cardiac rhythm disorders and valve diseases, as well as vascular endothelial dysfunction. Biochemical control of acromegaly significantly improves cardiovascular disease, albeit completely recovering to normal mainly in young patients with short disease duration. Respiratory complications, represented mainly by sleep-breathing disorders, particularly sleep apnea, and respiratory insufficiency, frequently occur at the early stage of the disease and, although their severity decreases with disease control, this improvement does not often change the indication for a specific therapy directed to improve respiratory function. Metabolic complications, including glucose and lipid disorders, are variably reported in acromegaly. Treatments of acromegaly may influence glucose metabolism, and the presence of diabetes mellitus in acromegaly may affect the choice of treatments, so that glucose homeostasis is worth being monitored during the entire course of the disease. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of acromegaly, aimed at obtaining a strict control of hormone excess, are the best strategy to limit the development or reverse the complications and prevent the premature mortality.

Cardiovascular effects of variations in habitual levels of physical activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blomqvist, C. G.; Mitchell, J. H.

1975-01-01

Mechanisms involved in human cardiovascular adaption to stress, particularly adaption to different levels of physical activity are determined along with quantitative noninvasive methods for evaluation of cardiovascular function during stess in normal subjects and in individuals with latent or manifest cardiovascular disease. Results are summarized.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Collegiate Football Players and Nonathletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobrosielski, Devon A.; Rosenbaum, Daryl; Wooster, Benjamin M.; Merrill, Michael; Swanson, John; Moore, J. Brian; Brubaker, Peter H.

2010-01-01

Collegiate American football players may be at risk for cardiovascular disease. Objective: To compare cardiovascular disease risk factors and cardiovascular structure and function parameters of football players, stratified by position, to a group of sedentary, nonathletes. Participants: Twenty-six collegiate football players and 13 nonathletes…

78 FR 76307 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

...] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and... combined endpoint of cardiovascular death, MI, stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization. FDA intends...

Partial IGF-1 deficiency is sufficient to reduce heart contractibility, angiotensin II sensibility, and alter gene expression of structural and functional cardiac proteins.

PubMed

González-Guerra, José Luis; Castilla-Cortazar, Inma; Aguirre, Gabriel A; Muñoz, Úrsula; Martín-Estal, Irene; Ávila-Gallego, Elena; Granado, Miriam; Puche, Juan E; García-Villalón, Ángel Luis

2017-01-01

Circulating levels of IGF-1 may decrease under several circumstances like ageing, metabolic syndrome, and advanced cirrhosis. This reduction is associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, progression to type 2 diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, underlying mechanisms between IGF-1 deficiency and cardiovascular disease remain elusive. The specific aim of the present work was to study whether the partial IGF-1 deficiency influences heart and/or coronary circulation, comparing vasoactive factors before and after of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). In addition, histology of the heart was performed together with cardiac gene expression for proteins involved in structure and function (extracellular matrix, contractile proteins, active peptides); carried out using microarrays, followed by RT-qPCR confirmation of the three experimental groups. IGF-1 partial deficiency is associated to a reduction in contractility and angiotensin II sensitivity, interstitial fibrosis as well as altered expression pattern of genes involved in extracellular matrix proteins, calcium dynamics, and cardiac structure and function. Although this work is descriptive, it provides a clear insight of the impact that partial IGF-1 deficiency on the heart and establishes this experimental model as suitable for studying cardiac disease mechanisms and exploring therapeutic options for patients under IGF-1 deficiency conditions.

Partial IGF-1 deficiency is sufficient to reduce heart contractibility, angiotensin II sensibility, and alter gene expression of structural and functional cardiac proteins

PubMed Central

Aguirre, Gabriel A.; Muñoz, Úrsula; Martín-Estal, Irene; Ávila-Gallego, Elena; Granado, Miriam; Puche, Juan E.; García-Villalón, Ángel Luis

2017-01-01

Circulating levels of IGF-1 may decrease under several circumstances like ageing, metabolic syndrome, and advanced cirrhosis. This reduction is associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, progression to type 2 diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, underlying mechanisms between IGF-1 deficiency and cardiovascular disease remain elusive. The specific aim of the present work was to study whether the partial IGF-1 deficiency influences heart and/or coronary circulation, comparing vasoactive factors before and after of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). In addition, histology of the heart was performed together with cardiac gene expression for proteins involved in structure and function (extracellular matrix, contractile proteins, active peptides); carried out using microarrays, followed by RT-qPCR confirmation of the three experimental groups. IGF-1 partial deficiency is associated to a reduction in contractility and angiotensin II sensitivity, interstitial fibrosis as well as altered expression pattern of genes involved in extracellular matrix proteins, calcium dynamics, and cardiac structure and function. Although this work is descriptive, it provides a clear insight of the impact that partial IGF-1 deficiency on the heart and establishes this experimental model as suitable for studying cardiac disease mechanisms and exploring therapeutic options for patients under IGF-1 deficiency conditions. PMID:28806738

Cysteine Oxidative Post-translational Modifications: Emerging Regulation in the Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Chung, Heaseung S.; Wang, Sheng-Bing; Venkatraman, Vidya; Murray, Christopher I.; Van Eyk, Jennifer E.

2014-01-01

In the cardiovascular system, changes in the oxidative balance can affect many aspects of cellular physiology through redox-signaling. Depending on the magnitude, fluctuations in the cell's production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can regulate normal metabolic processes, activate protective mechanisms, or be cytotoxic. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can have many effects including the post-translational modification of proteins at critical cysteine (Cys) thiols. A subset can act as redox-switches, which elicit functional effects in response to changes in oxidative state. While the general concepts of redox-signaling have been established, the identity and function of many regulatory switches remains unclear. Characterizing the effects of individual modifications is the key to understanding how the cell interprets oxidative signals under physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we review the various Cys oxidative post-translational modifications (Ox-PTMs) and their ability to function as redox-switches that regulate the cell's response to oxidative stimuli. In addition, we discuss how these modifications have the potential to influence other post-translational modifications' signaling pathways though cross-talk. Finally, we review the growing number of tools being developed to identify and quantify the various Cys Ox-PTMs and how this will advance our understanding of redox-regulation. PMID:23329793

Influence of cardiac nerve status on cardiovascular regulation and cardioprotection

PubMed Central

Kingma, John G; Simard, Denys; Rouleau, Jacques R

2017-01-01

Neural elements of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system transduce sensory inputs from the heart, blood vessels and other organs to ensure adequate cardiac function on a beat-to-beat basis. This inter-organ crosstalk is critical for normal function of the heart and other organs; derangements within the nervous system hierarchy contribute to pathogenesis of organ dysfunction. The role of intact cardiac nerves in development of, as well as protection against, ischemic injury is of current interest since it may involve recruitment of intrinsic cardiac ganglia. For instance, ischemic conditioning, a novel protection strategy against organ injury, and in particular remote conditioning, is likely mediated by activation of neural pathways or by endogenous cytoprotective blood-borne substances that stimulate different signalling pathways. This discovery reinforces the concept that inter-organ communication, and maintenance thereof, is key. As such, greater understanding of mechanisms and elucidation of treatment strategies is imperative to improve clinical outcomes particularly in patients with comorbidities. For instance, autonomic imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system regulation can initiate cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy that compromises cardiac stability and function. Neuromodulation therapies that directly target the intrinsic cardiac nervous system or other elements of the nervous system hierarchy are currently being investigated for treatment of different maladies in animal and human studies. PMID:28706586

Portrayal of female physicians in cardiovascular advertisements.

PubMed

Ahmed, Sofia B; Grace, Sherry L; Stelfox, Henry T; Tomlinson, George; Cheung, Angela M

2004-11-01

Despite increasing numbers of female medical school graduates, few women enter cardiovascular specialties. Pharmaceutical promotion may influence physician behaviour. It is unclear how female physicians are represented in cardiovascular advertisements, which may, in turn, influence physician perceptions. To determine if female and male physicians are equally represented in cardiovascular advertisements. All cardiovascular advertisements from American editions of general medical and cardiovascular journals published between January 1, 1996, and June 30, 1998, were examined. For each unique advertisement, the total number of journal appearances and the number of appearances in journals' premium positions were recorded. The role, sex, age and race of the primary figure featured in the advertisement were noted. Nine hundred nineteen unique advertisements were identified, 35 of which depicted a physician as the primary figure. Six (17%, 95% CI 8.1% to 32.7%) of these advertisements portrayed a female physician, while 29 (83%, 95% CI 67.3% to 91.9%) depicted a male physician (P<0.001). Female physician advertisements appeared in journals 39 times (20.7%; 95% CI 2.8% to 43.5%), while male physician advertisements appeared 149 times (79.3%; 95% CI 56.5% to 97.2%) (P=0.01). The odds ratio for a female physician advertisement appearing in a premium position compared with a male physician advertisement was 0.25 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.68). The relative paucity of female physicians in cardiovascular advertisements is a concern because it may both reflect and reinforce sex asymmetries in cardiovascular specialties.

21 CFR 870.3535 - Intra-aortic balloon and control system

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3535 Intra-aortic... consists of an inflatable balloon, which is placed in the aorta to improve cardiovascular functioning...

21 CFR 870.3535 - Intra-aortic balloon and control system

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3535 Intra-aortic... consists of an inflatable balloon, which is placed in the aorta to improve cardiovascular functioning...

Influence of microalbuminuria on left ventricular geometry and function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Picca, Maurizio; Agozzino, Francesco; Pelosi, Giancarlo

2003-01-01

An increased urinary albumin excretion (UAE) is associated with an augmented risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients and in non-diabetic subjects. Left ventricular hypertrophy has been demonstrated to be a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in arterial hypertension and when the ventricular geometry is concentric the relation is even stronger. This echocardiographic and Doppler study was designed to evaluate the influence of microalbuminuria on the left ventricular geometry and function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes melitus. Forty-two patients (16 males, 26 females, mean age 59.6 +/- 6.7 years) with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one patients had an elevated UAE (group 1) and 21 a normal UAE (group 2). M-mode (under two-dimensional control) and Doppler echocardiography were performed after a 4-week washout period off antihypertensive therapy. The left ventricular mass index was found to be greater than the partition value of 51 g/m2.7 in both groups but was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in group 1. The midwall fractional shortening was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in group 1 in comparison with group 2. The E/A ratio was impaired in both groups but was more significantly reduced (p < 0.02) in group 1. There was a significantly higher prevalence of a left ventricular concentric hypertrophy pattern (19/21 patients, p < 0.001) in group 1. In hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, an elevated UAE is associated with an increased left ventricular mass index, a higher prevalence of a concentric left ventricular hypertrophy pattern, a depressed midwall systolic performance and a markedly impaired diastolic function...

Influence of Ethnicity, Age, and Time on Sex Disparities in Long-Term Cause-Specific Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

PubMed

Gao, Fei; Lam, Carolyn S P; Yeo, Khung Keong; Machin, David; de Carvalho, Leonardo P; Sim, Ling Ling; Koh, Tian Hai; Foo, David; Ong, Hean Yee; Tong, Khim Leng; Tan, Huay Cheem; Earnest, Arul; Chua, Terrance; Chan, Mark Yan Yee

2016-10-06

We examined the influence of sex, ethnicity, and time on competing cardiovascular and noncardiovascular causes of death following acute myocardial infarction in a multiethnic Asian cohort. For 12 years, we followed a prospective nationwide cohort of 15 151 patients (aged 22-101 years, median age 63 years; 72.3% male; 66.7% Chinese, 19.8% Malay, 13.5% Indian) who were hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction between 2000 and 2005. There were 6463 deaths (4534 cardiovascular, 1929 noncardiovascular). Compared with men, women had a higher risk of cardiovascular death (age-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.4) but a similar risk of noncardiovascular death (HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-1.0). Sex differences in cardiovascular death varied by ethnicity, age, and time. Compared with Chinese women, Malay women had the greatest increased hazard of cardiovascular death (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6) and a marked imbalance in death due to heart failure or cardiomyopathy (HR 3.4 [95% CI 1.9-6.0] versus HR 1.5 [95% CI 0.6-3.6] for Indian women). Compared with same-age Malay men, Malay women aged 22 to 49 years had a 2.5-fold (95% CI 1.6-3.8) increased hazard of cardiovascular death. Sex disparities in cardiovascular death tapered over time, least among Chinese patients and most among Indian patients; the HR comparing cardiovascular death of Indian women and men decreased from 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.4) at 30 days to 0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.6) at 10 years. Age, ethnicity, and time strongly influence the association between sex and specific cardiovascular causes of mortality, suggesting that health care policy to reduce sex disparities in acute myocardial infarction outcomes must consider the complex interplay of these 3 major modifying factors. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

The Neural Crest in Cardiac Congenital Anomalies

PubMed Central

Keyte, Anna; Hutson, Mary Redmond

2012-01-01

This review discusses the function of neural crest as they relate to cardiovascular defects. The cardiac neural crest cells are a subpopulation of cranial neural crest discovered nearly 30 years ago by ablation of premigratory neural crest. The cardiac neural crest cells are necessary for normal cardiovascular development. We begin with a description of the crest cells in normal development, including their function in remodeling the pharyngeal arch arteries, outflow tract septation, valvulogenesis, and development of the cardiac conduction system. The cells are also responsible for modulating signaling in the caudal pharynx, including the second heart field. Many of the molecular pathways that are known to influence specification, migration, patterning and final targeting of the cardiac neural crest cells are reviewed. The cardiac neural crest cells play a critical role in the pathogenesis of various human cardiocraniofacial syndromes such as DiGeorge, Velocardiofacial, CHARGE, Fetal Alcohol, Alagille, LEOPARD, and Noonan syndromes, as well as Retinoic Acid Embryopathy. The loss of neural crest cells or their dysfunction may not always directly cause abnormal cardiovascular development, but are involved secondarily because crest cells represent a major component in the complex tissue interactions in the head, pharynx and outflow tract. Thus many of the human syndromes linking defects in the heart, face and brain can be better understood when considered within the context of a single cardiocraniofacial developmental module with the neural crest being a key cell type that interconnects the regions. PMID:22595346

Outcome quality of in-patient cardiac rehabilitation in elderly patients--identification of relevant parameters.

PubMed

Salzwedel, Annett; Nosper, Manfred; Röhrig, Bernd; Linck-Eleftheriadis, Sigrid; Strandt, Gert; Völler, Heinz

2014-02-01

Outcome quality management requires the consecutive registration of defined variables. The aim was to identify relevant parameters in order to objectively assess the in-patient rehabilitation outcome. From February 2009 to June 2010 1253 patients (70.9 ± 7.0 years, 78.1% men) at 12 rehabilitation clinics were enrolled. Items concerning sociodemographic data, the impairment group (surgery, conservative/interventional treatment), cardiovascular risk factors, structural and functional parameters and subjective health were tested in respect of their measurability, sensitivity to change and their propensity to be influenced by rehabilitation. The majority of patients (61.1%) were referred for rehabilitation after cardiac surgery, 38.9% after conservative or interventional treatment for an acute coronary syndrome. Functionally relevant comorbidities were seen in 49.2% (diabetes mellitus, stroke, peripheral artery disease, chronic obstructive lung disease). In three key areas 13 parameters were identified as being sensitive to change and subject to modification by rehabilitation: cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides), exercise capacity (resting heart rate, maximal exercise capacity, maximal walking distance, heart failure, angina pectoris) and subjective health (IRES-24 (indicators of rehabilitation status): pain, somatic health, psychological well-being and depression as well as anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The outcome of in-patient rehabilitation in elderly patients can be comprehensively assessed by the identification of appropriate key areas, that is, cardiovascular risk factors, exercise capacity and subjective health. This may well serve as a benchmark for internal and external quality management.

Quantitative EEG and its Correlation with Cardiovascular, Cognition and mood State: an Integrated Study in Simulated Microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianyuan; Hu, Bin; Chen, Wenjuan; Moore, Philip; Xu, Tingting; Dong, Qunxi; Liu, Zhenyu; Luo, Yuejia; Chen, Shanguang

2014-12-01

The focus of the study is the estimation of the effects of microgravity on the central nervous activity and its underlying influencing mechanisms. To validate the microgravity-induced physiological and psychological effects on EEG, quantitative EEG features, cardiovascular indicators, mood state, and cognitive performances data collection was achieved during a 45 day period using a -6°head-down bed rest (HDBR) integrated approach. The results demonstrated significant differences in EEG data, as an increased Theta wave, a decreased Beta wave and a reduced complexity of brain, accompanied with an increased heart rate and pulse rate, decreased positive emotion, and degraded emotion conflict monitoring performance. The canonical correlation analysis (CCA) based cardiovascular and cognitive related EEG model showed the cardiovascular effect on EEG mainly affected bilateral temporal region and the cognitive effect impacted parietal-occipital and frontal regions. The results obtained in the study support the use of an approach which combines a multi-factor influential mechanism hypothesis. The changes in the EEG data may be influenced by both cardiovascular and cognitive effects.

S-adenosylhomocysteine is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and renal function in a cardiovascular low-risk population.

PubMed

Zawada, Adam M; Rogacev, Kyrill S; Hummel, Björn; Berg, Judith T; Friedrich, Annika; Roth, Heinz J; Obeid, Rima; Geisel, Jürgen; Fliser, Danilo; Heine, Gunnar H

2014-05-01

Although homocysteine has been proposed as a cardiovascular risk factor, interventional trials lowering homocysteine have not consistently demonstrated clinical benefit. Recent evidence proposed the homocysteine metabolite S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) rather than homocysteine itself as the real culprit in cardiovascular disease. Of note, SAH is predominantly excreted by the kidneys, and cannot be lowered by vitamin supplementation. Due to its cumbersome measurement, data from large studies on the association between SAH, kidney function and cardiovascular disease are not available. We recruited 420 apparently healthy subjects into our I Like HOMe FU study. Among all study participants, we assessed parameters of C1 metabolism (homocysteine, SAH and S-adenosylmethionine), renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) and subclinical atherosclerosis (common carotid intima-media-thickness [IMT]). eGFR was estimated by the CKD-EPIcreat-cys equation. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis were associated with SAH, but not with homocysteine (IMT vs SAH: r = 0.129; p = 0.010; IMT vs homocysteine: r = 0.009; p = 0.853). Moreover, renal function was more closely correlated with SAH than with homocysteine (eGFR vs SAH: r = -0.335; p < 0.001; eGFR vs homocysteine: r = -0.250; p < 0.001). The association between eGFR and SAH remained significant after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. In summary, cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical atherosclerosis and eGFR are more strongly associated with SAH than with homocysteine in apparently healthy subjects. Thus, SAH might represent a more promising target to prevent cardiovascular disease than homocysteine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Editor's Choice - Acute Cardiovascular Care Association Position Paper on Intensive Cardiovascular Care Units: An update on their definition, structure, organisation and function.

PubMed

Bonnefoy-Cudraz, Eric; Bueno, Hector; Casella, Gianni; De Maria, Elia; Fitzsimons, Donna; Halvorsen, Sigrun; Hassager, Christian; Iakobishvili, Zaza; Magdy, Ahmed; Marandi, Toomas; Mimoso, Jorge; Parkhomenko, Alexander; Price, Susana; Rokyta, Richard; Roubille, Francois; Serpytis, Pranas; Shimony, Avi; Stepinska, Janina; Tint, Diana; Trendafilova, Elina; Tubaro, Marco; Vrints, Christiaan; Walker, David; Zahger, Doron; Zima, Endre; Zukermann, Robert; Lettino, Maddalena

2018-02-01

Acute cardiovascular care has progressed considerably since the last position paper was published 10 years ago. It is now a well-defined, complex field with demanding multidisciplinary teamworking. The Acute Cardiovascular Care Association has provided this update of the 2005 position paper on acute cardiovascular care organisation, using a multinational working group. The patient population has changed, and intensive cardiovascular care units now manage a large range of conditions from those simply requiring specialised monitoring, to critical cardiovascular diseases with associated multi-organ failure. To describe better intensive cardiovascular care units case mix, acuity of care has been divided into three levels, and then defining intensive cardiovascular care unit functional organisation. For each level of intensive cardiovascular care unit, this document presents the aims of the units, the recommended management structure, the optimal number of staff, the need for specially trained cardiologists and cardiovascular nurses, the desired equipment and architecture, and the interaction with other departments in the hospital and other intensive cardiovascular care units in the region/area. This update emphasises cardiologist training, referring to the recently updated Acute Cardiovascular Care Association core curriculum on acute cardiovascular care. The training of nurses in acute cardiovascular care is additionally addressed. Intensive cardiovascular care unit expertise is not limited to within the unit's geographical boundaries, extending to different specialties and subspecialties of cardiology and other specialties in order to optimally manage the wide scope of acute cardiovascular conditions in frequently highly complex patients. This position paper therefore addresses the need for the inclusion of acute cardiac care and intensive cardiovascular care units within a hospital network, linking university medical centres, large community hospitals, and smaller hospitals with more limited capabilities.

Utility of both Carotid Intima-media Thickness and Endothelial Function for Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Patients with Angina-like Symptoms

PubMed Central

Matsuzawa, Yasushi; Svedlund, Sara; Aoki, Tatsuo; Guddeti, Raviteja R.; Kwon, Taek-Geun; Cilluffo, Rebecca; Widmer, R.Jay.; Nelson, Rebecca E.; Lennon, Ryan J.; Lerman, Lilach O.; Gao, Sinsia; Ganz, Peter; Gan, Li-Ming; Lerman, Amir

2015-01-01

Background Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is used widely to assess cardiovascular risk in patients with chest pain. The utility of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and endothelial function as assessed by reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial tonometry index (RHI) in risk stratifying patients with angina-like symptom needs to be defined. We investigated whether addition of CIMT and RHI to Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score (FCVRS) and MPS improves comprehensive cardiovascular risk prediction in patients presenting with angina-like symptom. Methods We enrolled 343 consecutive patients with angina-like symptom suspected of having stable angina. MPS, CIMT, and RHI were performed and patients were followed for cardiovascular events for a median of 5.3 years (range 4.4-6.2). Patients were stratified by FCVRS and MPS. Results During the follow-up, 57 patients (16.6%) had cardiovascular events. Among patients without perfusion defect, low RHI was significantly associated with cardiovascular events in the intermediate and high FCVRS groups (Hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of RHI≤2.11 was 6.99 [1.34-128] in the intermediate FCVRS group and 6.08 [1.08-114] in the high FCVRS group). Furthermore, although MPS did not predict, only RHI predicted hard cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) independent from FCVRS, and adding RHI to FCVRS improved net reclassification index (20.9%, 95% CI 0.8-41.1, p=0.04). Especially, RHI was significantly associated with hard cardiovascular events in the high FCVRS group (HR [95% CI] of RHI≤1.93 was 5.66 [1.54-36.4], p=0.007). Conclusions Peripheral endothelial function may improve discrimination in identifying at-risk patients for future cardiovascular events when added to FCVRS-MPS-based risk stratification. PMID:25918056

Cardiac function and tadalafil used for treating fetal growth restriction in pregnant women without cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kayo; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Maki, Shintaro; Kubo, Michiko; Nii, Masafumi; Magawa, Shoichi; Hatano, Fumi; Tsuji, Makoto; Osato, Kazuhiro; Kamimoto, Yuki; Umekawa, Takashi; Ikeda, Tomoaki

2018-02-20

The aim of the present study was to evaluate tadalafil for the treatment of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and the cardiac function in pregnant women without cardiovascular disease who used tadalafil for this reason. We examined nine pregnant women without cardiovascular disease who were using tadalafil to treat FGR. Maternal heart rate, systolic blood pressure (BP), and echocardiographic findings were assessed before and after tadalafil use. Diastolic BP was lower after compared to that before using tadalafil, but the difference was not significant. Echocardiographic findings were not significantly different before and after tadalafil use. Tadalafil did not adversely affect pregnant women without cardiovascular disease and was considered acceptable for use since it did not affect the mother's cardiac function.

75 FR 57474 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

...] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and... analyses of the TREAT (Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Events with Aranesp Therapy) study of ARANESP...

78 FR 76308 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

...] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and..., Inc., for the proposed indication to reduce the risk of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients...

77 FR 21982 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

...] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...., to reduce the risk of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS...

Y-chromosome lineage determines cardiovascular organ T-cell infiltration in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat.

PubMed

Khan, Shanzana I; Andrews, Karen L; Jackson, Kristy L; Memon, Basimah; Jefferis, Ann-Maree; Lee, Man K S; Diep, Henry; Wei, Zihui; Drummond, Grant R; Head, Geoffrey A; Jennings, Garry L; Murphy, Andrew J; Vinh, Antony; Sampson, Amanda K; Chin-Dusting, Jaye P F

2018-05-01

The essential role of the Y chromosome in male sex determination has largely overshadowed the possibility that it may exert other biologic roles. Here, we show that Y-chromosome lineage is a strong determinant of perivascular and renal T-cell infiltration in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat, which, in turn, may influence vascular function and blood pressure (BP). We also show, for the first time to our knowledge, that augmented perivascular T-cell levels can directly instigate vascular dysfunction, and that the production of reactive oxygen species that stimulate cyclo-oxygenase underlies this. We thus provide strong evidence for the consideration of Y-chromosome lineage in the diagnosis and treatment of male hypertension, and point to the modulation of cardiovascular organ T-cell infiltration as a possible mechanism that underpins Y- chromosome regulation of BP.-Khan, S. I., Andrews, K. L., Jackson, K. L., Memon, B., Jefferis, A.-M., Lee, M. K. S., Diep, H., Wei, Z., Drummond, G. R., Head, G. A., Jennings, G. L., Murphy, A. J., Vinh, A., Sampson, A. K., Chin-Dusting, J. P. F. Y-chromosome lineage determines cardiovascular organ T-cell infiltration in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Non-coding RNAs as regulators of gene expression and epigenetics

PubMed Central

Kaikkonen, Minna U.; Lam, Michael T.Y.; Glass, Christopher K.

2011-01-01

Genome-wide studies have revealed that mammalian genomes are pervasively transcribed. This has led to the identification and isolation of novel classes of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that influence gene expression by a variety of mechanisms. Here we review the characteristics and functions of regulatory ncRNAs in chromatin remodelling and at multiple levels of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. We also describe the potential roles of ncRNAs in vascular biology and in mediating epigenetic modifications that might play roles in cardiovascular disease susceptibility. The emerging recognition of the diverse functions of ncRNAs in regulation of gene expression suggests that they may represent new targets for therapeutic intervention. PMID:21558279

Cardiopulmonary functional capacity and the role of exercise in improving maximal oxygen consumption in women with PCOS.

PubMed

Lenarcik, Agnieszka; Bidzińska-Speichert, Bozena

2010-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive disorder in premenopausal women and is frequently accompanied by the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. It has also been recognized that PCOS women are characterized by cardiopulmonary impairment. Reduced cardiopulmonary functional capacity and the autonomic dysfunction associated with abnormal heart rate recovery might be responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with PCOS. Exercise training has beneficial effects on cardiopulmonary functional capacity and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in PCOS women.

HDL Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Ormseth, Michelle J; Stein, C. Michael

2015-01-01

Purpose of review Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have accelerated atherosclerosis despite the appearance of having a less atherogenic lipid profile; however, lipoprotein function rather than concentration may be a better indicator of atherosclerotic risk. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent findings concerning HDL function in patients with RA. Recent findings Two major activities of HDL, its antioxidant and cholesterol efflux functions have been examined in RA. HDL antioxidant capacity is inversely associated with inflammation and RA disease activity; however, there is no clear consensus if antioxidant capacity is altered significantly in RA compared to control subjects. Moreover, despite numerous studies there is no consensus whether HDL cholesterol efflux capacity is significantly altered in RA compared to control subjects or influenced by inflammation or disease activity. Summary Additional studies will be valuable to consolidate existing data and find consensus. Moreover, studies evaluating the impact of various HDL functions on cardiovascular disease in RA are needed. PMID:26709471

The year 2012 in the European Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Imaging: Part I.

PubMed

Edvardsen, Thor; Plein, Sven; Saraste, Antti; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Lancellotti, Patrizio

2013-06-01

The new multi-modality cardiovascular imaging journal, European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, was started in 2012. During its first year, the new Journal has published an impressive collection of cardiovascular studies utilizing all cardiovascular imaging modalities. We will summarize the most important studies from its first year in two articles. The present 'Part I' of the review will focus on studies in myocardial function, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging.

Causal transfer function analysis to describe closed loop interactions between cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory variability signals.

PubMed

Faes, L; Porta, A; Cucino, R; Cerutti, S; Antolini, R; Nollo, G

2004-06-01

Although the concept of transfer function is intrinsically related to an input-output relationship, the traditional and widely used estimation method merges both feedback and feedforward interactions between the two analyzed signals. This limitation may endanger the reliability of transfer function analysis in biological systems characterized by closed loop interactions. In this study, a method for estimating the transfer function between closed loop interacting signals was proposed and validated in the field of cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory variability. The two analyzed signals x and y were described by a bivariate autoregressive model, and the causal transfer function from x to y was estimated after imposing causality by setting to zero the model coefficients representative of the reverse effects from y to x. The method was tested in simulations reproducing linear open and closed loop interactions, showing a better adherence of the causal transfer function to the theoretical curves with respect to the traditional approach in presence of non-negligible reverse effects. It was then applied in ten healthy young subjects to characterize the transfer functions from respiration to heart period (RR interval) and to systolic arterial pressure (SAP), and from SAP to RR interval. In the first two cases, the causal and non-causal transfer function estimates were comparable, indicating that respiration, acting as exogenous signal, sets an open loop relationship upon SAP and RR interval. On the contrary, causal and traditional transfer functions from SAP to RR were significantly different, suggesting the presence of a considerable influence on the opposite causal direction. Thus, the proposed causal approach seems to be appropriate for the estimation of parameters, like the gain and the phase lag from SAP to RR interval, which have a large clinical and physiological relevance.

Inhibition of CatA: an emerging strategy for the treatment of heart failure.

PubMed

Ruf, Sven; Buning, Christian; Schreuder, Herman; Linz, Wolfgang; Hübschle, Thomas; Linz, Dominik; Ruetten, Hartmut; Wirth, Klaus; Sadowski, Thorsten

2013-03-01

The lysosomal serine carboxypeptidase CatA has a very important and well-known structural function as well as a, so far, less explored catalytic function. A complete loss of the CatA protein results in the lysosomal storage disease galactosialidosis caused by intralysosomal degradation of β-galactosidase and neuraminidase 1. However, mice with a catalytically inactive CatA enzyme show no signs of this disease. This observation establishes a clear distinction between structural and catalytic functions of the CatA enzyme. Recently, several classes of orally bioavailable synthetic inhibitors of CatA have been identified. Pharmacological studies in rodents indicate a remarkable influence of CatA inhibition on cardiovascular disease progression and identify CatA as a promising novel target for the treatment of heart failure.

Range of control of cardiovascular variables by the hypothalamus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, O. A.; Stephenson, R. B.; Randall, D. C.

1974-01-01

New methodologies were utilized to study the influence of the hypothalamus on the cardiovascular system. The regulation of myocardial activity was investigated in monkeys with hypothalamic lesions that eliminate cardiovascular responses. Observations showed that a specific part of the hypothalamus regulates changes in myocardial contractility that accompanies emotion. Studies of the hypothalamus control of renal blood flow showed the powerful potential control of this organ over renal circulation.

The Potential of Chitosan and Its Derivatives in Prevention and Treatment of Age-Related Diseases

PubMed Central

Kerch, Garry

2015-01-01

Age-related, diet-related and protein conformational diseases, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, cancer, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases are common in the elderly population. The potential of chitosan, chitooligosaccharides and their derivatives in prevention and treatment of age-related dysfunctions is reviewed and discussed in this paper. The influence of oxidative stress, low density lipoprotein oxidation, increase of tissue stiffness, protein conformational changes, aging-associated chronic inflammation and their pathobiological significance have been considered. The chitosan-based functional food also has been reviewed. PMID:25871293

Features of influence of spatially inhomogeneous geomagnetic field on a humans heart rhythm variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuzhilkin, D. A.; Borodin, A. S.; Shitov, A. V.

2017-11-01

The results of a study of the functioning of the human cardiovascular system in the epicentral zone of the Chui earthquake on a tectonic fault characterized by a sharp gradient zone of a regional magnetic field are presented. It is shown that in the dynamics of the daily distribution of RR-intervals, events corresponding to the time of visit by volunteers of sites characterized by the presence of a spatially inhomogeneous geomagnetic field are singled out. In particular, there is a decrease in the average period of cardiac contractions.

[Cardiovascular disease prevention and health promotion in the French speaking community of Belgium].

PubMed

Coppieters, Y; Béduwé, C; Collignon, J L; Hubens, V; Levêque, A

2010-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases remain the first cause of mortality in Belgium and are a priority for the Five-year program of health promotion in the French speaking Community. It is declined in operational programs by priority thematics, including the heart health. With this framework, it appeared necessary to operationalize cardiovascular priorities. A process of systemic and participative planning was set up in order to seek operational strategies and actions, and to cover the whole population and actors concerned with these health problems. The various cardiovascular risk factors, which potentiate one another, are approached together and in a global way. Upstream to the risk factors, social health determinants play an important role in cardiovascular diseases and others diseases like cancers. Tracking cardiovascular risk factors among people 30 to 75 years is also proposed. It makes it possible to identify people at risk and to put forward individual and adapted measures. The plan integrates actions of health promotion (acting on the health determinants and factors which influence them) as well as actions aiming at improving tracking and the accompaniment of the patients in secondary and tertiary prevention. Actions on health determinants and the factors influencing them present moreover the advantage of being often common to many chronic diseases.

Cardiovascular Impact in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: Clinical Management Considerations

PubMed Central

Chirakarnjanakorn, Srisakul; Navaneethan, Sankar D.; Francis, Gary S.; Tang, W.H. Wilson

2017-01-01

Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis develop both structural and functional cardiovascular abnormalities. Despite improvement of dialysis technology, cardiovascular mortality of this population remains high. The pathophysiological mechanisms of these changes are complex and not well understood. It has been postulated that several non-traditional, uremic-related risk factors, especially the long-term uremic state, which may affect the cardiovascular system. There are many cardiovascular changes that occur in chronic kidney disease including left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, microvascular disease, accelerated atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. These structural and functional changes in patients receiving chronic dialysis make them more susceptible to myocardial ischemia. Hemodialysis itself may adversely affect the cardiovascular system due to non-physiologic fluid removal, leading to hemodynamic instability and initiation of systemic inflammation. In the past decade there has been growing awareness that pathophysiological mechanisms cause cardiovascular dysfunction in patients on chronic dialysis, and there are now pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies that may improve the poor quality of life and high mortality rate that these patients experience. PMID:28108129

Evaluation of cardiovascular risks of spaceflight does not support the NASA bioastronautics critical path roadmap.

PubMed

Convertino, Victor A; Cooke, William H

2005-09-01

Occurrence of serious cardiac dysrhythmias and diminished cardiac and vascular function are the primary cardiovascular risks of spaceflight identified in the 2005 NASA Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap. A review of the literature was conducted on experimental results and observational data obtained from spaceflight and relevant ground simulation studies that addressed occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiac contractile and vascular function, manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease, orthostatic intolerance, and response to exercise stress. Based on data from astronauts who have flown in space, there is no compelling experimental evidence to support significant occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease, or reduction in myocardial contractile function. Although there are post-spaceflight data that demonstrate lower peripheral resistance in astronauts who become presyncopal compared with non-presyncopal astronauts, it is not clear that these differences are the result of decreased vascular function. However, the evidence of postflight orthostatic intolerance and reduced exercise capacity is well substantiated by both spaceflight and ground experiments. Although attenuation of baroreflex function(s) may contribute to postflight orthostatic instability, a primary mechanism of orthostatic intolerance and reduced exercise capacity is reduced end-diastolic and stroke volume associated with lower blood volumes and consequent cardiac remodeling. Data from the literature on the current population of astronauts support the notion that the primary cardiovascular risks of spaceflight are compromised hemodynamic responses to central hypovolemia resulting in reduced orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity rather than occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, reduced cardiac contractile and vascular function, or manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease. These observations warrant a critical review and revision of the 2005 Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap.

Exercise and end-stage kidney disease: functional exercise capacity and cardiovascular outcomes.

PubMed

Parsons, Trisha L; King-Vanvlack, Cheryl E

2009-11-01

This review examined published reports of the impact of extradialytic and intradialytic exercise programs on physiologic aerobic exercise capacity, functional exercise endurance, and cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with ESKD. Studies spanning 30 years from the first published report of exercise in the ESKD population were reviewed. Studies conducted in the first half of the publication record focused on the efficacy of exercise training programs performed "off"-dialysis with respect to the modification of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, aerobic capacity, and its underlying determinants. In the latter half of the record, there had been a shift to include other client-centered goals such as physical function and quality of life. There is evidence that both intra- and extradialytic programs can significantly enhance aerobic exercise capacity, but moderate-intensity extradialytic programs may result in greater gains in those individuals who initially have extremely poor aerobic capacity. Functionally, substantive improvements in exercise endurance in excess of the minimum clinical significant difference can occur following either low- or moderate-intensity exercise regardless of the initial level of performance. Reductions in blood pressure and enhanced vascular functioning reported after predominantly intradialytic exercise programs suggest that either low- or moderate-intensity exercise programs can confer cardiovascular benefit. Regardless of prescription model, there was an overall lack of evidence regarding the impact of exercise-induced changes in exercise capacity, endurance, and cardiovascular function on a number of relevant health outcomes (survival, morbidity, and cardiovascular risk), and, more importantly, there is no evidence on the long-term impact of exercise and/or physical activity interventions on these health outcomes.

Differences in Physical Fitness and Cardiovascular Function Depend on BMI in Korean Men.

PubMed

So, Wi-Young; Choi, Dai-Hyuk

2010-01-01

We investigated the associations between cardiovascular function and both body mass index and physical fitness in Korean men. The subjects were 2,013 men, aged 20 to 83 years, who visited a health promotion center for a comprehensive medical and fitness test during 2006-2009. The WHO's Asia-Pacific Standard Report definition of BMI was used in this study. Fitness assessment of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, and balance were evaluated by VO2max (ml/kg/min), grip strength (kg), sit-ups (reps/min), sit and reach (cm), vertical jump (cm), side steps (reps/30s), and standing on one leg with eyes closed (sec), respectively. For cardiovascular function, we evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), resting heart rate (RHR), double product (DP), and vital capacity. There were significant decreases in cardiorespiratory endurance (p < 0.001), power (p < 0.001), and balance (p < 0.001), and increases in muscular strength (p < 0.001). Further, cardiovascular function, including SBP (p < 0.001), DBP (p < 0.001), double product (p < 0.001), and vital capacity (p=0.006) appeared to be lower for the obesity group. We conclude that an obese person exhibits lower fitness level and weaker cardiovascular function than a normal person. Key pointsThe obese group had a lower fitness level, including cardiorespiratory endurance, power, and balance.Obese group demonstrated an increase in muscular strength.Obese group had higher blood pressure and weaker cardiovascular function, including DP and vital capacity, than the normal group.

Differences in Physical Fitness and Cardiovascular Function Depend on BMI in Korean Men

PubMed Central

So, Wi-Young; Choi, Dai-Hyuk

2010-01-01

We investigated the associations between cardiovascular function and both body mass index and physical fitness in Korean men. The subjects were 2,013 men, aged 20 to 83 years, who visited a health promotion center for a comprehensive medical and fitness test during 2006-2009. The WHO's Asia-Pacific Standard Report definition of BMI was used in this study. Fitness assessment of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, and balance were evaluated by VO2max (ml/kg/min), grip strength (kg), sit-ups (reps/min), sit and reach (cm), vertical jump (cm), side steps (reps/30s), and standing on one leg with eyes closed (sec), respectively. For cardiovascular function, we evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), resting heart rate (RHR), double product (DP), and vital capacity. There were significant decreases in cardiorespiratory endurance (p < 0.001), power (p < 0.001), and balance (p < 0.001), and increases in muscular strength (p < 0.001). Further, cardiovascular function, including SBP (p < 0.001), DBP (p < 0.001), double product (p < 0.001), and vital capacity (p=0.006) appeared to be lower for the obesity group. We conclude that an obese person exhibits lower fitness level and weaker cardiovascular function than a normal person. Key points The obese group had a lower fitness level, including cardiorespiratory endurance, power, and balance. Obese group demonstrated an increase in muscular strength. Obese group had higher blood pressure and weaker cardiovascular function, including DP and vital capacity, than the normal group. PMID:24149691

Sex differences in cardiovascular health: does sexism influence women's health?

PubMed

Molix, Lisa

2014-08-01

This commentary provides a brief overview of theory and research that supports the idea that sexism may be related to the disproportionate negative cardiovascular health outcomes in women. It describes sexism as a stressor and outlines its association with a variety of health outcomes as evidence for why sex disparities should be examined within the context of pervasive inequities. To date, population-based studies have not explicitly examined the relationship between sexism and cardiovascular disease, but smaller studies have yielded fairly consistent results. It is suggested that future research should aim to examine the influence of 2 types of sexism (ie, hostile and benevolent) and that daily or within-day designs be used to assess cognitive, behavioral and physiological responses to everyday sexist experiences.

The effects of air pollution on daily cardiovascular diseases hospital admissions in Wuhan from 2013 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoying; Wang, Wangcheng; Jiao, Shilin; Yuan, Jing; Hu, Chunping; Wang, Lin

2018-06-01

To evaluate the short-term effect of ambient air pollution on cardiovascular hospital admissions and capture the susceptible subpopulations in Wuhan, China, we adopted a generalized additive model to quantitatively analyze the influences of air pollutants on daily cardiovascular diseases hospital admissions and examine the influences of different subgroups. The largest significant effects for PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 on cardiovascular hospital admissions were observed at lag0, lag02 and lag02, respectively, and a 10μg/m3 increment in concentration of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 were associated with 0.87% (95%CI: 0.05%-1.7%), 3.41% (95%CI: -0.21%-7.17%) and 2.98% (95%CI: 0.66%-5.37%) increases in cardiovascular hospital admissions. Nearly linear relationships were found for NO2 and PM2.5 with cardiovascular hospital admissions, and the J-shaped exposure-response relationship was observed for SO2 with cardiovascular hospital admissions. NO2 might have independent health effects of PM2.5 on the population at risk. The effect estimates for PM2.5 and SO2 were not sensitive with the inclusion of the co-pollutant adjustment. The gender, age and seasonal specific association between three pollutants and cardiovascular disease didn't show obvious differences in the magnitude and trend of the effects except that the seasonal difference of SO2 was significant. This study showed that PM2.5 and NO2 had effects on cardiovascular diseases, and the multiple pollutants should be considered together in the hazard models. In addition, the government should remind the resident to protect themselves and wear masks to avoid the harmful effect of air pollution, especially for the susceptible population.

Sleep restriction undermines cardiovascular adaptation during stress, contingent on emotional stability.

PubMed

Lü, Wei; Hughes, Brian M; Howard, Siobhán; James, Jack E

2018-02-01

Sleep loss is associated with increased cardiovascular disease, but physiological mechanisms accounting for this relationship are largely unknown. One possible mechanism is that sleep restriction exerts effects on cardiovascular stress responses, and that these effects vary between individuals. Emotional stability (ES) is a personality trait pertinent to sleep restriction and stress responding. However, no study to date has explored how ES and sleep-restriction interactively affect cardiovascular stress responses or processes of adaptation during stress. The present study sought to investigate the association between ES and impact of sleep restriction on cardiovascular function during stress, with particular regard to the trajectory of cardiovascular function change across time. Ninety female university students completed a laboratory vigilance stress task while undergoing continuous cardiovascular (SBP, DBP, HR, SV, CO, TPR) monitoring, after either a night of partial sleep restriction (40% of habitual sleep duration) or a full night's rest. Individuals high in ES showed stable and adaptive cardiovascular (SBP, SV, CO) responses throughout stress exposure, regardless of sleep. In contrast, individuals low in ES exhibited cardiovascular adaptation during stress exposure while rested, but disrupted adaption while sleep-restricted. These findings suggest that sleep-restriction undermines healthful cardiovascular adaptation to stress for individuals low in ES. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary Transcriptional Response to Ozone in Healthy and Cardiovascular Compromised Rat Models

EPA Science Inventory

The genetic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated metabolic impairments can influence the lung injury from inhaled pollutants. We hypothesized that comparative assessment of global pulmonary expression profile of healthy and CVD-prone rat models will provide mechanistic ins...

Therapeutic effects of multiple nutritional supplements on the hypertensive indices of cardiovascular distress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okereke, Emmanuel O.

2000-09-01

This quasi-experiment study examined the therapeutic effects of multiple nutritional supplements on the hypertensive indices of cardiovascular distress. By utilizing drug interventions that reduced cardiovascular distress through changes in the hypertensive indices, previous studies have shown that improvements in life expectancy, lowering of health care costs in later years, and reduction in all-cause mortality were achieved. In fact, individuals without risk factors or with low risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adulthood or middle age were healthier, had a greater life expectancy, and incurred lower health care costs in later years. The hypertensive indices of interest include elevated heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (Ps), diastolic blood pressure (PD), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), pulse pressure (PP), and mechanical disadvantages of the heart MDH. Mechanical disadvantage of the heart is a term that has been developed for the purposes of this study. The alternative hypotheses for this study proposed to show a significant change in the relevant hypertensive indices of cardiovascular distress in volunteers after a minimum of 45 days treatment with multiple nutritional supplements. The target population was all middle-aged (30 to 65 years) volunteer hypertensives in Nigeria (West Africa), who were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group, controlling for individuals who were on any form of medication, smokers, alcoholics, and those who were pregnant or on contraceptives. Treatment involved multiple doses of the various vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and accessory nutrients in their complementary combinations that influence various levels of cardiovascular function. After 45 days of treatment, the differences between the mean sores of the experimental group and control group on Ps, PD, MABP, and PP were found to be statistically significant, at p ≤ .05 cut-off level for rejecting the null hypothesis for each dependent variable on a one-tailed student's t test. The same results were not demonstrated for HR and MDH. In summary, the therapeutic effects of multiple nutritional supplements on the hypertensive indices of cardiovascular distress could provide a cost-effective, safe, healthy, and reliable way of preventing cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac regulation in the socially monogamous prairie vole

PubMed Central

Grippo, Angela J.; Lamb, Damon G.; Carter, C. Sue; Porges, Stephen W.

2007-01-01

Social experiences, both positive and negative, may influence cardiovascular regulation. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous rodents that form social bonds similar to those seen in primates, and this species may provide a useful model for investigating neural and social regulation of cardiac function. Cardiac regulation has not been studied previously in the prairie vole. Radiotelemetry transmitters were implanted into adult female prairie voles under anesthesia, and electrocardiographic parameters were recorded. Autonomic blockade was performed using atenolol (8 mg/kg ip) and atropine methyl nitrate (4 mg/kg ip). Several variables were evaluated, including heart rate (HR), HR variability and the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Sympathetic blockade significantly reduced HR. Parasympathetic blockade significantly increased HR, and reduced HR variability and the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Combined autonomic blockade significantly increased HR, and reduced HR variability and respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitude. The data indicate that autonomic function in prairie voles shares similarities with primates, with a predominant vagal influence on cardiac regulation. The current results provide a foundation for studying neural and social regulation of cardiac function during different behavioral states in this socially monogamous rodent model. PMID:17107695

Functional Task Test: 2. Spaceflight-Induced Cardiovascular Change and Recovery During NASA's Functional Task Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Tiffany; Arzeno, Natalia M.; Stenger, Michael; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Bloomberg, Jacob J.; Platts, Steven H.

2011-01-01

The overall objective of the functional task test (FTT) is to correlate spaceflight-induced physiological adaptations with changes in performance of high priority exploration mission-critical tasks. This presentation will focus on the recovery from fall/stand test (RFST), which measures the cardiovascular response to the transition from the prone posture (simulated fall) to standing in normal gravity, as well as heart rate (HR) during 11 functional tasks. As such, this test describes some aspects of spaceflight-induced cardiovascular deconditioning and the course of recovery in Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts. The sensorimotor and neuromuscular components of the FTT are described in two separate abstracts: Functional Task Test 1 and 3.

Calcium intake: good for the bones but bad for the heart? An analysis of clinical studies.

PubMed

Lima, Guilherme Alcantara Cunha; Lima, Priscilla Damião Araújo; Barros, Maria da Glória Costa Reis Monteiro de; Vardiero, Lívia Paiva; Melo, Elisa Fernandes de; Paranhos-Neto, Francisco de Paula; Madeira, Miguel; Farias, Maria Lucia Fleiuss de

2016-06-01

The proper dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation, when indicated, are important factors in the acquisition of peak bone mass during youth and in the prevention of fractures in old age. In addition to its deposition in bone, calcium confers an increase in its resistance and exhibits important activities in different enzymatic pathways in the body (e.g., neural, hormonal, muscle-related and blood clotting pathways). Thus, calcium supplementation can directly or indirectly affect important functions in the body, such as the control of blood pressure, plasma glucose, body weight, lipid profile and endothelial function. Since one publication reported increased cardiovascular risk due to calcium supplementation, many researchers have studied whether this risk actually exists; the results are conflicting, and the involved mechanisms are uncertain. However, studies that have evaluated the influence of the consumption of foods rich in calcium have reported no increase in the cardiovascular risk, which suggests that nutritional intake should be prioritized as a method for supplementation and that the use of calcium supplements should be reserved for patients who truly need supplementation and are unable to achieve the recommended daily nutritional intake of calcium.

Influences of prostanoids and nitric oxide on post-suspension hypotension in female Sprague-Dawley rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eatman, D.; Listhrop, R. A.; Beasley, A. S.; Socci, R. R.; Abukhalaf, I.; Bayorh, M. A.

2003-01-01

Impairment in cardiovascular functions sometimes manifested in astronauts during standing postflight, may be related to the diminished autonomic function and/or excessive production of endothelium-dependent relaxing factors. In the present study, using the 30 degrees head-down tilt (HDT) model, we compared the cardiovascular and biochemical effects of 7 days of suspension and a subsequent 6-h post-suspension period between suspended and non-suspended conscious female Sprague-Dawley rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate were measured prior to suspension (basal), daily thereafter, and every 2h post-suspension. Following 7 days of suspension, MAP was not different from their basal values, however, upon release from suspension, MAP was significantly reduced compared to the non-suspended rats. Nitric oxide levels were elevated while thromboxane A(2) levels declined significantly in both plasma and tissue samples following post-suspension. The levels of prostacyclin following post-suspension remained unaltered in plasma and aortic rings but was significantly elevated in carotid arterial rings. Therefore, the post-suspension reduction in mean arterial pressure is due mostly to overproduction of nitric oxide and to a lesser extent prostacyclin.

Cardiovascular studies using the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinds, J. E.; Cothran, L. N.; Hawthorne, E. W.

1977-01-01

Despite the phylogenetic similarities between chimpanzees and man, there exists a paucity of reliable data on normal cardiovascular function and the physiological responses of the system to standard interventions. Totally implanted biotelemetry systems or hardwire analog techniques were used to examine the maximum number of cardiovascular variables which could be simultaneously monitored without significantly altering the system's performance. This was performed in order to acquire base-line data not previously obtained in this species, to determine cardiovascular response to specific forcing functions such as ventricular pacing, drug infusions, and lower body negative pressure. A cardiovascular function profile protocol was developed in order to adjust independently the three major factors which modify ventricular performance, namely, left ventricular performance, left ventricular preload, afterload, and contractility. Cardiac pacing at three levels above the ambient rate was used to adjust end diastolic volume (preload). Three concentrations of angiotensin were infused continuously to evaluate afterload in a stepwide fashion. A continuous infusion of dobutamine was administered to raise the manifest contractile state of the heart.

Effects of Flavonoid-Containing Beverages and EGCG on Endothelial Function

PubMed Central

Shenouda, Sherene M.; Vita, Joseph A.

2009-01-01

Abnormalities of the vascular endothelium contribute to all stages of atherosclerosis from lesion development to clinical cardiovascular disease events. Recognized risk factors, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, and sedentary lifestyle are associated with endothelial dysfunction. A variety of pharmacological and behavioral interventions have been shown to reverse endothelial dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular disease. A large number of epidemiological studies suggest that dietary factors, including increased intake of flavonoid-containing foods and beverages, reduce cardiovascular risk, and recent studies have shown that such beverages have favorable effects on endothelial function. These studies have engendered interest in the development of dietary supplements or drugs that would allow for more convenient and higher dose administration of flavonoids and might prove useful for prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this paper, we will review the contribution of endothelial dysfunction to the pathogenesis and clinical expression of atherosclerosis and recent data linking flavonoid and EGCG consumption to improved endothelial function and reduced cardiovascular risk. PMID:17906190

The predictive value of the antioxidative function of HDL for cardiovascular disease and graft failure in renal transplant recipients.

PubMed

Leberkühne, Lynn J; Ebtehaj, Sanam; Dimova, Lidiya G; Dikkers, Arne; Dullaart, Robin P F; Bakker, Stephan J L; Tietge, Uwe J F

2016-06-01

Protection of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) against oxidative modification is a key anti-atherosclerotic property of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). This study evaluated the predictive value of the HDL antioxidative function for cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality and chronic graft failure in renal transplant recipients (RTR). The capacity of HDL to inhibit native LDL oxidation was determined in vitro in a prospective cohort of renal transplant recipients (RTR, n = 495, median follow-up 7.0 years). The HDL antioxidative functionality was significantly higher in patients experiencing graft failure (57.4 ± 9.7%) than in those without (54.2 ± 11.3%; P = 0.039), while there were no differences for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Specifically glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.001) and C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.006) associated independently with antioxidative functionality in multivariate linear regression analyses. Cox regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between antioxidative functionality of HDL and graft failure in age-adjusted analyses, but significance was lost following adjustment for baseline kidney function and inflammatory load. No significant association was found between HDL antioxidative functionality and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This study demonstrates that the antioxidative function of HDL (i) does not predict cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in RTR, but (ii) conceivably contributes to the development of graft failure, however, not independent of baseline kidney function and inflammatory load. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Associations of Immigration Transition to Cardiovascular Symptoms Experienced in Menopausal Transition.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Ko, Young; Chee, Eunice; Chee, Wonshik

The purpose of this study was to explore the associations of immigration transition to cardiovascular symptoms among 4 major racial/ethnic groups of 1054 midlife women in the United States. This was a secondary analysis of the data from 2 large national survey studies. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and immigration transition and the Cardiovascular Symptom Index for Midlife Women. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics including hierarchical multiple regressions. Immigrants reported fewer numbers (t = 5.268, P < .01) and lower severity scores (t = 5.493, P < .01) of cardiovascular symptoms compared with nonimmigrants. Self-reported racial/ethnic identify was a significant factor influencing cardiovascular symptoms (P < .01).

Computational medical imaging and hemodynamics framework for functional analysis and assessment of cardiovascular structures.

PubMed

Wong, Kelvin K L; Wang, Defeng; Ko, Jacky K L; Mazumdar, Jagannath; Le, Thu-Thao; Ghista, Dhanjoo

2017-03-21

Cardiac dysfunction constitutes common cardiovascular health issues in the society, and has been an investigation topic of strong focus by researchers in the medical imaging community. Diagnostic modalities based on echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, chest radiography and computed tomography are common techniques that provide cardiovascular structural information to diagnose heart defects. However, functional information of cardiovascular flow, which can in fact be used to support the diagnosis of many cardiovascular diseases with a myriad of hemodynamics performance indicators, remains unexplored to its full potential. Some of these indicators constitute important cardiac functional parameters affecting the cardiovascular abnormalities. With the advancement of computer technology that facilitates high speed computational fluid dynamics, the realization of a support diagnostic platform of hemodynamics quantification and analysis can be achieved. This article reviews the state-of-the-art medical imaging and high fidelity multi-physics computational analyses that together enable reconstruction of cardiovascular structures and hemodynamic flow patterns within them, such as of the left ventricle (LV) and carotid bifurcations. The combined medical imaging and hemodynamic analysis enables us to study the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease-causing dysfunctions, such as how (1) cardiomyopathy causes left ventricular remodeling and loss of contractility leading to heart failure, and (2) modeling of LV construction and simulation of intra-LV hemodynamics can enable us to determine the optimum procedure of surgical ventriculation to restore its contractility and health This combined medical imaging and hemodynamics framework can potentially extend medical knowledge of cardiovascular defects and associated hemodynamic behavior and their surgical restoration, by means of an integrated medical image diagnostics and hemodynamic performance analysis framework.

Adaptive plasticity in vestibular influences on cardiovascular control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yates, B. J.; Holmes, M. J.; Jian, B. J.

2000-01-01

Data collected in both human subjects and animal models indicate that the vestibular system influences the control of blood pressure. In animals, peripheral vestibular lesions diminish the capacity to rapidly and accurately make cardiovascular adjustments to changes in posture. Thus, one role of vestibulo-cardiovascular influences is to elicit changes in blood distribution in the body so that stable blood pressure is maintained during movement. However, deficits in correcting blood pressure following vestibular lesions diminish over time, and are less severe when non-labyrinthine sensory cues regarding body position in space are provided. These observations show that pathways that mediate vestibulo-sympathetic reflexes can be subject to plastic changes. This review considers the adaptive plasticity in cardiovascular responses elicited by the central vestibular system. Recent data indicate that the posterior cerebellar vermis may play an important role in adaptation of these responses, such that ablation of the posterior vermis impairs recovery of orthostatic tolerance following subsequent vestibular lesions. Furthermore, recent experiments suggest that non-labyrinthine inputs to the central vestibular system may be important in controlling blood pressure during movement, particularly following vestibular dysfunction. A number of sensory inputs appear to be integrated to produce cardiovascular adjustments during changes in posture. Although loss of any one of these inputs does not induce lability in blood pressure, it is likely that maximal blood pressure stability is achieved by the integration of a variety of sensory cues signaling body position in space.

[Role of probiotics in obesity management].

PubMed

Prados-Bo, Andreu; Gómez-Martínez, Sonia; Nova, Esther; Marcos, Ascensión

2015-02-07

Obesity is a major public health issue as it is related to several chronic disorders, including type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipemia, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, among others. Novel research shows that the gut microbiota is involved in obesity and metabolic disorders, revealing that obese animal and human subjects have alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota compared to their lean counterparts. Moreover, it has been observed in germ-free mice that transplantation of the microbiota of either obese or lean mice influences body weight, suggesting that the gut ecosystem is a relevant target for weight management. Certain strains of probiotics may regulate body weight by influencing the host's metabolic, neuroendocrine and immune functions. Taken together, our knowledge about the influence of gut microbiota on obesity is progressing. Therefore, modulation of its composition through probiotics may provide new opportunities to manage overweight and obesity. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary Toxicity and Modifications in Iron Homeostasis Following Libby Amphibole Asbestos Exposure in Rat Models of Cardiovascular Disease

EPA Science Inventory

Rationale: Individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) develop iron dysregulation which may influence pulmonary toxicity and injury upon exposure to asbestos. We hypothesized spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats woul...

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO EVALUATING THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiologic studies have suggested factors in drinking water influence on the human cardiovascular system. A clear identification of the factors involved requires more invasive techniques and more strict experimental controls than can usually be applied in epidemiologic studies...

Association of Cytochrome P450 2C19 Genotype With the Antiplatelet Effect and Clinical Efficacy of Clopidogrel Therapy

PubMed Central

Shuldiner, Alan R.; O'Connell, Jeffrey R.; Bliden, Kevin P.; Gandhi, Amish; Ryan, Kathleen; Horenstein, Richard B.; Damcott, Coleen M.; Pakyz, Ruth; Tantry, Udaya S.; Gibson, Quince; Pollin, Toni I.; Post, Wendy; Parsa, Afshin; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Faraday, Nauder; Herzog, William; Gurbel, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Context Clopidogrel therapy improves cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes and following percutaneous coronary intervention by inhibiting adenosine diphosphate (ADP)–dependent platelet activation. However, nonresponsiveness is widely recognized and is related to recurrent ischemic events. Objective To identify gene variants that influence clopidogrel response. Design, Setting, and Participants In the Pharmacogenomics of Antiplatelet Intervention (PAPI) Study (2006-2008), we administered clopidogrel for 7 days to 429 healthy Amish persons and measured response by ex vivo platelet aggregometry. A genome-wide association study was performed followed by genotyping the loss-of-function cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19*2 variant (rs4244285). Findings in the PAPI Study were extended by examining the relation of CYP2C19*2 genotype to platelet function and cardiovascular outcomes in an independent sample of 227 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Main Outcome Measure ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation in response to clopidogrel treatment and cardiovascular events. Results Platelet response to clopidogrel was highly heritable (h2=0.73; P<.001). Thirteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 10q24 within the CYP2C18-CYP2C19-CYP2C9-CYP2C8 cluster were associated with diminished clopidogrel response, with a high degree of statistical significance (P=1.5 × 10−13 for rs12777823, additive model). The rs12777823 polymorphism was in strong linkage disequilibrium with the CYP2C19*2 variant, and was associated with diminished clopidogrel response, accounting for 12% of the variation in platelet aggregation to ADP (P=4.3 × 10−11). The relation between CYP2C19*2 genotype and platelet aggregation was replicated in clopidogrel-treated patients undergoing coronary intervention (P=.02). Furthermore, patients with the CYP2C19*2 variant were more likely (20.9% vs 10.0%) to have a cardiovascular ischemic event or death during 1 year of follow-up (hazard ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-4.99; P=.02). Conclusion CYP2C19*2 genotype was associated with diminished platelet response to clopidogrel treatment and poorer cardiovascular outcomes. PMID:19706858

Decisions under distress: stress profiles influence anchoring and adjustment.

PubMed

Kassam, Karim S; Koslov, Katrina; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2009-11-01

People frequently make decisions under stress. Understanding how stress affects decision making is complicated by the fact that not all stress responses are created equal. Challenge states, for example, occur when individuals appraise a stressful situation as demanding, but believe they have the personal resources to cope, and are characterized by efficient cardiovascular reactivity and approach motivation. Threat states, in contrast, occur when situational demands are perceived to outweigh resources and are characterized by less efficient cardiovascular reactivity and withdrawal motivation. We randomly assigned participants to social-feedback conditions (i.e., positive or negative feedback) designed to engender challenge or threat, or a no-stress condition. Participants then completed an anchoring-and-adjustment questionnaire. Those assigned to the challenge condition adjusted more from self-generated anchors than those assigned to the threat condition. Cardiovascular responses mediated the relationship between condition and adjustment. This study demonstrates the importance of considering profiles of cardiovascular reactivity when examining the influence of stress on decision making.

Decisions Under Distress Stress Profiles Influence Anchoring and Adjustment

PubMed Central

Kassam, Karim S.; Koslov, Katrina; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2009-01-01

People frequently make decisions under stress. Understanding how stress affects decision making is complicated by the fact that not all stress responses are created equal. Challenge states, for example, occur when individuals appraise a stressful situation as demanding, but believe they have the personal resources to cope, and are characterized by efficient cardiovascular reactivity and approach motivation. Threat states, in contrast, occur when situational demands are perceived to outweigh resources and are characterized by less efficient cardiovascular reactivity and withdrawal motivation. We randomly assigned participants to social-feedback conditions (i.e., positive or negative feedback) designed to engender challenge or threat, or a no-stress condition. Participants then completed an anchoring-and-adjustment questionnaire. Those assigned to the challenge condition adjusted more from self-generated anchors than those assigned to the threat condition. Cardiovascular responses mediated the relationship between condition and adjustment. This study demonstrates the importance of considering profiles of cardiovascular reactivity when examining the influence of stress on decision making. PMID:19843261

Autonomic cardiovascular control and sports classification in Paralympic athletes with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

West, Christopher R; Krassioukov, Andrei V

2017-01-01

Purpose To investigate the relationship between the classification systems used in wheelchair sports and cardiovascular function in Paralympic athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods 26 wheelchair rugby (C3-C8) and 14 wheelchair basketball (T3-L1) were assessed for their International Wheelchair Rugby and Basketball Federation sports classification. Next, athletes were assessed for resting and reflex cardiovascular and autonomic function via the change (delta) in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) in response to sit-up, and sympathetic skin responses (SSRs), respectively. Results There were no differences in supine, seated, or delta SBP and HR between different sport classes in rugby or basketball (all p > 0.23). Athletes with autonomically complete injuries (SSR score 0-1) exhibited a lower supine SBP, seated SBP and delta SBP compared to those with autonomically incomplete injuries (SSR score >1; all p < 0.010), independent of sport played. There was no association between self-report OH and measured OH (χ 2  =   1.63, p = 0.20). Conclusion We provide definitive evidence that sports specific classification is not related to the degree of remaining autonomic cardiovascular control in Paralympic athletes with SCI. We suggest that testing for remaining autonomic function, which is closely related to the degree of cardiovascular control, should be incorporated into sporting classification. Implications for Rehabilitation Spinal cord injury is a debilitating condition that affects the function of almost every physiological system. It is becoming increasingly apparent that spinal cord injury induced changes in autonomic and cardiovascular function are important determinants of sports performance in athletes with spinal cord injury. This study shows that the current sports classification systems used in wheelchair rugby and basketball do not accurately reflect autonomic and cardiovascular function and thus are placing some athletes at a distinct disadvantage/advantage within their respective sport.

Autophagy in health and disease: focus on the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Mialet-Perez, Jeanne; Vindis, Cécile

2017-12-12

Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism of lysosome-mediated protein and organelle degradation that plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. In the last few years, specific functions for autophagy have been identified in many tissues and organs. In the cardiovascular system, autophagy appears to be essential to heart and vessel homeostasis and function; however defective or excessive autophagy activity seems to contribute to major cardiovascular disorders including heart failure (HF) or atherosclerosis. Here, we review the current knowledge on the role of cardiovascular autophagy in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Heart in space: effect of the extraterrestrial environment on the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Hughson, Richard L; Helm, Alexander; Durante, Marco

2018-03-01

National space agencies and private corporations aim at an extended presence of humans in space in the medium to long term. Together with currently suboptimal technology, microgravity and cosmic rays raise health concerns about deep-space exploration missions. Both of these physical factors affect the cardiovascular system, whose gravity-dependence is pronounced. Heart and vascular function are, therefore, susceptible to substantial changes in weightlessness. The altered cardiovascular function in space causes physiological problems in the postflight period. A compromised cardiovascular system can be excessively vulnerable to space radiation, synergistically resulting in increased damage. The space radiation dose is significantly lower than in patients undergoing radiotherapy, in whom cardiac damage is well-documented following cancer therapy in the thoracic region. Nevertheless, epidemiological findings suggest an increased risk of late cardiovascular disease even with low doses of radiation. Moreover, the peculiar biological effectiveness of heavy ions in cosmic rays might increase this risk substantially. However, whether radiation-induced cardiovascular effects have a threshold at low doses is still unclear. The main countermeasures to mitigate the effect of the space environment on cardiac function are physical exercise, antioxidants, nutraceuticals, and radiation shielding.

[The design and applications of a non-invasive intelligent detector for cardiovascular functions].

PubMed

Li, Feng; Xing, Wu; Chen, Ming-zhi; Shang, Huai

2006-05-01

An apparatus based on a high sensitive sensor which detects cardiovascular functions is introduced in this paper. Some intelligent detecting technologies, such as syntactic pattern recognition and a medical expert system are used in this detector. Its embedded single-chip microcomputer processes and analyzes pulse signals for gaining automatically the parameters about heart, blood vessel and blood etc., so as to get the health evaluation, correct medical diagnosis and prediction of cardiovascular diseases.

Performance of the Framingham and SCORE cardiovascular risk prediction functions in a non-diabetic population of a Spanish health care centre: a validation study

PubMed Central

Barroso, Lourdes Cañón; Muro, Eloísa Cruces; Herrera, Natalio Díaz; Ochoa, Gerardo Fernández; Hueros, Juan Ignacio Calvo; Buitrago, Francisco

2010-01-01

Objective To analyse the 10-year performance of the original Framingham coronary risk function and of the SCORE cardiovascular death risk function in a non-diabetic population of 40–65 years of age served by a Spanish healthcare centre. Also, to estimate the percentage of patients who are candidates for antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy. Design Longitudinal, observational study of a retrospective cohort followed up for 10 years. Setting Primary care health centre. Patients A total of 608 non-diabetic patients of 40–65 years of age (mean 52.8 years, 56.7% women), without evidence of cardiovascular disease were studied. Main outcome measures Coronary risk at 10 years from the time of their recruitment, using the tables based on the original Framingham function, and of their 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease using the SCORE tables. Results The actual incidence rates of coronary and fatal cardiovascular events were 7.9% and 1.5%, respectively. The original Framingham equation over-predicted risk by 64%, while SCORE function over-predicted risk by 40%, but the SCORE model performed better than the Framingham one for discrimination and calibration statistics. The original Framingham function classified 18.3% of the population as high risk and SCORE 9.2%. The proportions of patients who would be candidates for lipid-lowering therapy were 31.0% and 23.8% according to the original Framingham and SCORE functions, respectively, and 36.8% and 31.2% for antihypertensive therapy. Conclusion The SCORE function showed better values than the original Framingham function for each of the discrimination and calibration statistics. The original Framingham function selected a greater percentage of candidates for antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy. PMID:20873973

Fetal programming as a predictor of adult health or disease: the need to reevaluate fetal heart function.

PubMed

Miranda, Joana O; Ramalho, Carla; Henriques-Coelho, Tiago; Areias, José Carlos

2017-11-01

Epidemiologic and experimental evidence suggests that adverse stimuli during critical periods in utero permanently alters organ structure and function and may have persistent consequences for the long-term health of the offspring. Fetal hypoxia, maternal malnutrition, or ventricular overloading are among the major adverse conditions that can compromise cardiovascular development in early life. With the heart as a central organ in fetal adaptive mechanisms, a deeper understanding of the fetal cardiovascular physiology and of the echocardiographic tools to assess both normal and stressed pregnancies would give precious information on fetal well-being and hopefully may help in early identification of special risk groups for cardiovascular diseases later in life. Assessment of cardiac function in the fetus represents an additional challenge when comparing to children and adults, requiring advanced training and a critical approach to properly acquire and interpret functional parameters. This review summarizes the basic fetal cardiovascular physiology and the main differences from the mature postnatal circulation, provides an overview of the particularities of echocardiographic evaluation in the fetus, and finally proposes an integrated view of in utero programming of cardiovascular diseases later in life, highlighting priorities for future clinical research.

Effects of mood induction via music on cardiovascular measures of negative emotion during simulated driving.

PubMed

Fairclough, Stephen H; van der Zwaag, Marjolein; Spiridon, Elena; Westerink, Joyce

2014-04-22

A study was conducted to investigate the potential of mood induction via music to influence cardiovascular correlates of negative emotions experience during driving behaviour. One hundred participants were randomly assigned to one of five groups, four of whom experienced different categories of music: High activation/positive valence (HA/PV), high activation/negative valence (HA/NV), low activation/positive valence (LA/PV) and low activation/negative valence (LA/NV). Following exposure to their respective categories of music, participants were required to complete a simulated driving journey with a fixed time schedule. Negative emotion was induced via exposure to stationary traffic during the simulated route. Cardiovascular reactivity was measured via blood pressure, heart rate and cardiovascular impedance. Subjective self-assessment of anger and mood was also recorded. Results indicated that low activation music, regardless of valence, reduced systolic reactivity during the simulated journey relative to HA/NV music and the control (no music) condition. Self-reported data indicated that participants were not consciously aware of any influence of music on their subjective mood. It is concluded that cardiovascular reactivity to negative mood may be mediated by the emotional properties of music. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Disease: Hormonal and Biochemical Influences

PubMed Central

Pérez-López, Faustino R.; Larrad-Mur, Luis; Kallen, Amanda; Chedraui, Peter; Taylor, Hugh S.

2011-01-01

Objective Atherosclerosis is a complex process characterized by an increase in vascular wall thickness owing to the accumulation of cells and extracellular matrix between the endothelium and the smooth muscle cell wall. There is evidence that females are at lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared to males. This has led to an interest in examining the contribution of genetic background and sex hormones to the development of CVD. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of factors, including those related to gender, that influence CVD. Methods Evidence analysis from PubMed and individual searches concerning biochemical and endocrine influences and gender differences, which affect the origin and development of CVD. Results Although still controversial, evidence suggests that hormones including estradiol and androgens are responsible for subtle cardiovascular changes long before the development of overt atherosclerosis. Conclusion Exposure to sex hormones throughout an individual's lifespan modulates many endocrine factors involved in atherosclerosis. PMID:20460551

Implicit activation of the aging stereotype influences effort-related cardiovascular response: The role of incentive.

PubMed

Zafeiriou, Athina; Gendolla, Guido H E

2017-09-01

Based on previous research on implicit effects on effort-related cardiovascular response and evidence that aging is associated with cognitive difficulties, we tested whether the mere activation of the aging stereotype can systematically influence young individuals' effort-mobilization during cognitive performance. Young participants performed an objectively difficult short-term memory task during which they processed elderly vs. youth primes and expected low vs. high incentive for success. When participants processed elderly primes during the task, we expected cardiovascular response to be weak in the low-incentive condition and strong in the high-incentive condition. Unaffected by incentive, effort in the youth-prime condition should fall in between the two elderly-prime cells. Effects on cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) and heart rate (HR) largely supported these predictions. The present findings show for the first time that the mere activation of the aging stereotype can systematically influence effort mobilization during cognitive performance-even in young adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Exercise in Cardiac Aging: From Physiology to Molecular Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Roh, Jason; Rhee, James; Chaudhari, Vinita; Rosenzweig, Anthony

2015-01-01

Aging induces structural and functional changes in the heart that are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and impaired functional capacity in the elderly. Exercise is a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, with the potential to provide insights into clinical diagnosis and prognosis, as well as the molecular mechanisms by which aging influences cardiac physiology and function. In this review, we first provide an overview of how aging impacts the cardiac response to exercise and the implications this has for functional capacity in older adults. We then review the underlying molecular mechanisms by which cardiac aging contributes to exercise intolerance, and conversely how exercise training can potentially modulate aging phenotypes in the heart. Finally, we highlight the potential use of these exercise models to complement models of disease in efforts to uncover new therapeutic targets to prevent or treat heart disease in the aging population. PMID:26838314

The Role of Exercise in Cardiac Aging: From Physiology to Molecular Mechanisms.

PubMed

Roh, Jason; Rhee, James; Chaudhari, Vinita; Rosenzweig, Anthony

2016-01-22

Aging induces structural and functional changes in the heart that are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and impaired functional capacity in the elderly. Exercise is a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, with the potential to provide insights into clinical diagnosis and prognosis, as well as the molecular mechanisms by which aging influences cardiac physiology and function. In this review, we first provide an overview of how aging impacts the cardiac response to exercise, and the implications this has for functional capacity in older adults. We then review the underlying molecular mechanisms by which cardiac aging contributes to exercise intolerance, and conversely how exercise training can potentially modulate aging phenotypes in the heart. Finally, we highlight the potential use of these exercise models to complement models of disease in efforts to uncover new therapeutic targets to prevent or treat heart disease in the aging population. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Population-based absolute risk estimation with survey data

PubMed Central

Kovalchik, Stephanie A.; Pfeiffer, Ruth M.

2013-01-01

Absolute risk is the probability that a cause-specific event occurs in a given time interval in the presence of competing events. We present methods to estimate population-based absolute risk from a complex survey cohort that can accommodate multiple exposure-specific competing risks. The hazard function for each event type consists of an individualized relative risk multiplied by a baseline hazard function, which is modeled nonparametrically or parametrically with a piecewise exponential model. An influence method is used to derive a Taylor-linearized variance estimate for the absolute risk estimates. We introduce novel measures of the cause-specific influences that can guide modeling choices for the competing event components of the model. To illustrate our methodology, we build and validate cause-specific absolute risk models for cardiovascular and cancer deaths using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Our applications demonstrate the usefulness of survey-based risk prediction models for predicting health outcomes and quantifying the potential impact of disease prevention programs at the population level. PMID:23686614

Functions of MicroRNAs in Cardiovascular Biology and Disease

PubMed Central

Hata, Akiko

2015-01-01

In 1993, lin-4 was discovered as a critical modulator of temporal development in Caenorhabditis elegans and, most notably, as the first in the class of small, single-stranded noncoding RNAs now defined as microRNAs (miRNAs). Another eight years elapsed before miRNA expression was detected in mammalian cells. Since then, explosive advancements in the field of miRNA biology have elucidated the basic mechanism of miRNA biogenesis, regulation, and gene-regulatory function. The discovery of this new class of small RNAs has augmented the complexity of gene-regulatory programs as well as the understanding of developmental and pathological processes in the cardiovascular system. Indeed, the contributions of miRNAs in cardiovascular development and function have been widely explored, revealing the extensive role of these small regulatory RNAs in cardiovascular physiology. PMID:23157557

Modulation of endothelial nitric oxide by plant-derived products.

PubMed

Schmitt, Christoph A; Dirsch, Verena M

2009-09-01

Nitric oxide (NO), produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), is recognised as a central anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic principle in the vasculature. Decreased availability of NO in the vasculature promotes the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated that a growing list of natural products, as components of the daily diet or phytomedical preparations, may improve vascular function by enhancing NO bioavailability. In this article we first outline common pathways modulating endothelial NO production or bioavailability to provide a basis for subsequent mechanistic discussions. Then we comprehensively review natural products and plant extracts known to positively influence eNOS activity and/or endothelial function in vitro or in vivo. We will discuss red wine, highlighting polyphenols, oligomeric procyanidins (OPC) and resveratrol as modulators of endothelial NO production. Other dietary products and their active components known to activate eNOS include cocoa (OPC and its monomer (-)-epicatechin), pomegranates (polyphenols), black and green tea (flavanoids, especially epigallocatechin gallate), olive oil (oleic acid and polyphenols), soy (genistein), and quercetin, one of the most abundant flavonoids in plants. In addition, phytomedical preparations made from ginkgo, hawthorn and ginseng, as well as formulations used in traditional Chinese Medicine, have been shown to affect endothelial NO production. Recurring phytochemical patterns among active fractions and purified compounds are discussed. In summary, there is increasing evidence that several single natural products and plant extracts influence endothelial NO production. Identification of such compounds and characterisation of their cellular actions may increase our knowledge of the regulation of endothelial NO production and could provide valuable clues for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Hemodynamic Flow-Induced Mechanotransduction Signaling Influences the Radiation Response of the Vascular Endothelium.

PubMed

Natarajan, Mohan; Aravindan, Natarajan; Sprague, Eugene A; Mohan, Sumathy

2016-08-01

Hemodynamic shear stress is defined as the physical force exerted by the continuous flow of blood in the vascular system. Endothelial cells, which line the inner layer of blood vessels, sense this physiological force through mechanotransduction signaling and adapt to maintain structural and functional homeostasis. Hemodynamic flow, shear stress and mechanotransduction signaling are, therefore, an integral part of endothelial pathophysiology. Although this is a well-established concept in the cardiovascular field, it is largely dismissed in studies aimed at understanding radiation injury to the endothelium and subsequent cardiovascular complications. We and others have reported on the differential response of the endothelium when the cells are under hemodynamic flow shear compared with static culture. Further, we have demonstrated significant differences in the gene expression of static versus shear-stressed irradiated cells in four key pathways, reinforcing the importance of shear stress in understanding radiation injury of the endothelium. This article further emphasizes the influence of hemodynamic shear stress and the associated mechanotransduction signaling on physiological functioning of the vascular endothelium and underscores its significance in understanding radiation injury to the vasculature and associated cardiac complications. Studies of radiation effect on endothelial biology and its implication on cardiotoxicity and vascular complications thus far have failed to highlight the significance of these factors. Factoring in these integral parts of the endothelium will enhance our understanding of the contribution of the endothelium to radiation biology. Without such information, the current approaches to studying radiation-induced injury to the endothelium and its consequences in health and disease are limited.

Hypertension Control in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events: Global Results From the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin.

PubMed

Navar, Ann Marie; Gallup, Dianne S; Lokhnygina, Yuliya; Green, Jennifer B; McGuire, Darren K; Armstrong, Paul W; Buse, John B; Engel, Samuel S; Lachin, John M; Standl, Eberhard; Van de Werf, Frans; Holman, Rury R; Peterson, Eric D

2017-11-01

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment targets for adults with diabetes mellitus remain unclear. SBP levels among 12 275 adults with diabetes mellitus, prior cardiovascular disease, and treated hypertension were evaluated in the TECOS (Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin) randomized trial of sitagliptin versus placebo. The association between baseline SBP and recurrent cardiovascular disease was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling with restricted cubic splines, adjusting for clinical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier curves by baseline SBP were created to assess time to cardiovascular disease and 2 potential hypotension-related adverse events: worsening kidney function and fractures. The association between time-updated SBP and outcomes was examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Overall, 42.2% of adults with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension had an SBP ≥140 mm Hg. The association between SBP and cardiovascular disease risk was U shaped, with a nadir ≈130 mm Hg. When the analysis was restricted to those with baseline SBP of 110 to 150 mm Hg, the adjusted association between SBP and cardiovascular disease risk was flat (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.02). There was no association between SBP and risk of fracture. Above 150 mm Hg, higher SBP was associated with increasing risk of worsening kidney function (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.18). Many patients with diabetes mellitus have uncontrolled hypertension. The U-shaped association between SBP and cardiovascular disease events was largely driven by those with very high or low SBP, with no difference in cardiovascular disease risk between 110 and 150 mm Hg. Lower SBP was not associated with higher risks of fractures or worsening kidney function. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Independent effects of prematurity on metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in short small-for-gestational-age children.

PubMed

Willemsen, Ruben H; de Kort, Sandra W K; van der Kaay, Danielle C M; Hokken-Koelega, Anita C S

2008-02-01

Both small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and preterm birth have been associated with an increased incidence of adult cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 2. However, it is unclear whether preterm birth has an additional effect on cardiovascular risk factors in short children born SGA. Our objective was to investigate whether prematurity has an independent influence on several cardiovascular risk factors within a population of short SGA children. A cross-sectional observational study was performed. A total of 479 short SGA children (mean age 6.8 yr), divided into preterm (<36 wk) and term (> or =36 wk) children, was included in the study. Insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, body composition, and lipid levels were studied in subgroups, and blood pressure (BP), anthropometry at birth and during childhood in the total group. Preterm SGA children were significantly lighter and shorter at birth after correction for gestational age than term SGA children (P < 0.001) but had a comparable head circumference. In preterm SGA children, we found a significantly higher systolic (P = 0.003) and diastolic BP sd score (P = 0.026), lower percent body fat sd score (P = 0.011), and higher insulin secretion (P = 0.033) and disposition index (P = 0.021), independently of the degree of SGA. Insulin sensitivity, serum lipid levels, muscle mass, and body fat distribution were comparable for preterm and term SGA children. Within a population of short SGA children, preterm birth has divergent effects on several cardiovascular risk factors. Whereas preterm SGA children had a higher systolic and diastolic BP, they also had a lower percent body fat and a higher insulin secretion and disposition index than term SGA children.

K-Cl cotransport function and its potential contribution to cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Adragna, Norma C; Lauf, Peter K

2007-12-01

K-Cl cotransport is the coupled electroneutral movement of K and Cl ions carried out by at least four protein isoforms, KCC1-4. These transporters belong to the SLC12A family of coupled cotransporters and, due to their multiple functions, play an important role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Significant information exists on the overall function of these transporters, but less is known about the role of the specific isoforms. Most functional studies were done on K-Cl cotransport fluxes without knowing the molecular details, and only recently attention has been paid to the isoforms and their individual contribution to the fluxes. This review summarizes briefly and updates the information on the overall functions of this transporter, and offers some ideas on its potential contribution to the pathophysiological basis of cardiovascular disease. By virtue of its properties and the cellular ionic distribution, K-Cl cotransport participates in volume regulation of the nucleated and some enucleated cells studied thus far. One of the hallmarks in cardiovascular disease is the inability of the organism to maintain water and electrolyte balance in effectors and/or target tissues. Oxidative stress is another compounding factor in cardiovascular disease and of great significance in our modern life styles. Several functions of the transporter are modulated by oxidative stress, which in turn may cause the transporter to operate in either "overdrive" with the purpose to counteract homeostatic changes, or not to respond at all, again setting the stage for pathological changes leading to cardiovascular disease. Intracellular Mg, a second messenger, acts as an inhibitor of K-Cl cotransport and plays a crucial role in regulating the activity of protein kinases and phosphatases, which, in turn, regulate a myriad of cellular functions. Although the role of Mg in cardiovascular disease has been dealt with for several decades, this chapter is evolving nowadays at a faster pace and the relationships between Mg, K-Cl cotransport, and cardiovascular disease is an area that awaits further experimentation. We envision that further studies on the role of K-Cl cotransport, and ideally on its specific isoforms, in mammalian cells will add missing links and help to understand the cellular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

Individual influences on lifestyle change to reduce vascular risk: a qualitative literature review

PubMed Central

Murray, Jenni; Honey, Stephanie; Hill, Kate; Craigs, Cheryl; House, Allan

2012-01-01

Background Management of cardiovascular risk includes adoption of healthy lifestyles. Uptake and completion rates for lifestyle programmes are low and many barriers and facilitators to lifestyle behaviour change have been reported in the literature. Clarity on which barriers and facilitators to target during consultations in primary care may support a more systematic approach to lifestyle behaviour change in those at high risk of cardiovascular events. Aim To identify the main barriers and facilitators to lifestyle behaviour change in individuals at high risk of cardiovascular events. Design A content synthesis of the qualitative literature reporting patient-level influences on lifestyle change. Method Qualitative studies involving patients at high risk of cardiovascular events were identified through electronic searching and screening against predefined selection criteria. Factors (reported influences) were extracted and, using a clustering technique, organised into categories that were then linked to key themes through relationship mapping. Results A total of 348 factors were extracted from 33 studies. Factors were organised into 20 categories and from these categories five key themes were identified: emotions, beliefs, information and communication, friends and family support, and cost/transport. Conclusion It is possible to organise the large number of self-reported individual influences on lifestyle behaviours into a small number of themes. Further research is needed to clarify which of these patient-level barriers and facilitators are the best predictors of uptake and participation in programmes aimed at helping people to change lifestyle. PMID:22687232

Assessment of the environmental and genetic factors influencing prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Gosadi, Ibrahim M.

2016-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a combination of factors that increases the risk of cardiovascular atherosclerotic diseases including diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the adult Saudi population where the increase in cardiovascular-related mortality is augmented by the rise in the prevalence of MS. Metabolic syndrome is a multi-factorial disorder influenced by interactions between genetic and environmental components. This review aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of studied environmental and genetic factors explaining the prevalence of MS in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this review aims to illustrate factors related to the population genetics of Saudi Arabia, which might explain a proportion of the prevalence of MS. PMID:26739969

Antiplatelet drug interactions with proton pump inhibitors

PubMed Central

Scott, Stuart A; Obeng, Aniwaa Owusu; Hulot, Jean-Sébastien

2014-01-01

Introduction Non-aspirin antiplatelet agents (e.g., clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor) are commonly prescribed for the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and/or those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In addition, combination therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is often recommended to attenuate gastrointestinal bleeding risk, particularly during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel and aspirin. Importantly, a pharmacological interaction between clopidogrel and some PPIs has been proposed based on mutual CYP450-dependent metabolism, but available evidence is inconsistent. Areas covered This article provides an overview of the currently approved antiplatelet agents and PPIs, including their metabolic pathways. Additionally, the CYP450 isoenzyme at the center of the drug interaction, CYP2C19, is described in detail, and the available evidence on both the potential pharmacological interaction and influence on clinical outcomes are summarized and evaluated. Expert opinion Although concomitant DAPT and PPI use reduces clopidogrel active metabolite levels and ex vivo-measured platelet inhibition, the influence of the drug interaction on clinical outcomes has been conflicting and largely reported from non-randomized observational studies. Despite this inconsistency, a clinically important interaction cannot be definitively excluded, particularly among patient subgroups with higher overall cardiovascular risk and potentially among CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele carriers. PMID:24205916

Role of TRP channels in the cardiovascular system

PubMed Central

Yue, Zhichao; Xie, Jia; Yu, Albert S.; Stock, Jonathan; Du, Jianyang

2014-01-01

The transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily consists of a large number of nonselective cation channels with variable degree of Ca2+-permeability. The 28 mammalian TRP channel proteins can be grouped into six subfamilies: canonical, vanilloid, melastatin, ankyrin, polycystic, and mucolipin TRPs. The majority of these TRP channels are expressed in different cell types including both excitable and nonexcitable cells of the cardiovascular system. Unlike voltage-gated ion channels, TRP channels do not have a typical voltage sensor, but instead can sense a variety of other stimuli including pressure, shear stress, mechanical stretch, oxidative stress, lipid environment alterations, hypertrophic signals, and inflammation products. By integrating multiple stimuli and transducing their activity to downstream cellular signal pathways via Ca2+ entry and/or membrane depolarization, TRP channels play an essential role in regulating fundamental cell functions such as contraction, relaxation, proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. With the use of targeted deletion and transgenic mouse models, recent studies have revealed that TRP channels are involved in numerous cellular functions and play an important role in the pathophysiology of many diseases in the cardiovascular system. Moreover, several TRP channels are involved in inherited diseases of the cardiovascular system. This review presents an overview of current knowledge concerning the physiological functions of TRP channels in the cardiovascular system and their contributions to cardiovascular diseases. Ultimately, TRP channels may become potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases. PMID:25416190

RhoA/Rho-Kinase in the Cardiovascular System.

PubMed

Shimokawa, Hiroaki; Sunamura, Shinichiro; Satoh, Kimio

2016-01-22

Twenty years ago, Rho-kinase was identified as an important downstream effector of the small GTP-binding protein, RhoA. Thereafter, a series of studies demonstrated the important roles of Rho-kinase in the cardiovascular system. The RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway is now widely known to play important roles in many cellular functions, including contraction, motility, proliferation, and apoptosis, and its excessive activity induces oxidative stress and promotes the development of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the important role of Rho-kinase has been demonstrated in the pathogenesis of vasospasm, arteriosclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. Cyclophilin A is secreted by vascular smooth muscle cells and inflammatory cells and activated platelets in a Rho-kinase-dependent manner, playing important roles in a wide range of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway plays crucial roles under both physiological and pathological conditions and is an important therapeutic target in cardiovascular medicine. Recently, functional differences between ROCK1 and ROCK2 have been reported in vitro. ROCK1 is specifically cleaved by caspase-3, whereas granzyme B cleaves ROCK2. However, limited information is available on the functional differences and interactions between ROCK1 and ROCK2 in the cardiovascular system in vivo. Herein, we will review the recent advances about the importance of RhoA/Rho-kinase in the cardiovascular system. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Role of TRP channels in the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Yue, Zhichao; Xie, Jia; Yu, Albert S; Stock, Jonathan; Du, Jianyang; Yue, Lixia

2015-02-01

The transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily consists of a large number of nonselective cation channels with variable degree of Ca(2+)-permeability. The 28 mammalian TRP channel proteins can be grouped into six subfamilies: canonical, vanilloid, melastatin, ankyrin, polycystic, and mucolipin TRPs. The majority of these TRP channels are expressed in different cell types including both excitable and nonexcitable cells of the cardiovascular system. Unlike voltage-gated ion channels, TRP channels do not have a typical voltage sensor, but instead can sense a variety of other stimuli including pressure, shear stress, mechanical stretch, oxidative stress, lipid environment alterations, hypertrophic signals, and inflammation products. By integrating multiple stimuli and transducing their activity to downstream cellular signal pathways via Ca(2+) entry and/or membrane depolarization, TRP channels play an essential role in regulating fundamental cell functions such as contraction, relaxation, proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. With the use of targeted deletion and transgenic mouse models, recent studies have revealed that TRP channels are involved in numerous cellular functions and play an important role in the pathophysiology of many diseases in the cardiovascular system. Moreover, several TRP channels are involved in inherited diseases of the cardiovascular system. This review presents an overview of current knowledge concerning the physiological functions of TRP channels in the cardiovascular system and their contributions to cardiovascular diseases. Ultimately, TRP channels may become potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

[Effect of occupational stress on cardiovascular function of different vocational population].

PubMed

Yao, San-qiao; Fan, Xue-yun; Jin, Yu-lan; Bai, Yu-ping; Qu, Yin-e; Zhou, Yuan

2003-02-01

To study the effect of occupational stress on cardiovascular function of different vocational population. The occupational stressors, risk factors of cardiovascular diseases were investigated by questionnaire in 839 people with 4 kinds of jobs. Blood pressure, sugar, and lipid were detected at the same time. Blood pressure were higher in the groups of old age, long standing and teachers, and the abnormal rate of blood pressure was 21.69%. There was no difference in abnormal ECG among ages, standing and occupation, and the abnormal rate of ECG was 19.07%. Job control, job demands, job responsibility, role in a job and shift work were the main stress factors affecting systolic and diastolic blood pressure. More conflict in job, less chance of participation, severe job loads were the risk factors of primary hypertension. Accident due to job responsibility, job responsibility, role in a job were the main risk factors of abnormal electrocardiograph. Self-respect and activity beyond work were the good modifiers of heart function. Occupational stress has certain effect on cardiovascular function.

Thyroid functional disease: an under-recognized cardiovascular risk factor in kidney disease patients

PubMed Central

Rhee, Connie M.; Brent, Gregory A.; Kovesdy, Csaba P.; Soldin, Offie P.; Nguyen, Danh; Budoff, Matthew J.; Brunelli, Steven M.; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

2015-01-01

Thyroid functional disease, and in particular hypothyroidism, is highly prevalent among chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. In the general population, hypothyroidism is associated with impaired cardiac contractility, endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and possibly higher cardiovascular mortality. It has been hypothesized that hypothyroidism is an under-recognized, modifiable risk factor for the enormous burden of cardiovascular disease and death in CKD and ESRD, but this has been difficult to test due to the challenge of accurate thyroid functional assessment in uremia. Low thyroid hormone levels (i.e. triiodothyronine) have been associated with adverse cardiovascular sequelae in CKD and ESRD patients, but these metrics are confounded by malnutrition, inflammation and comorbid states, and hence may signify nonthyroidal illness (i.e. thyroid functional test derangements associated with underlying ill health in the absence of thyroid pathology). Thyrotropin is considered a sensitive and specific thyroid function measure that may more accurately classify hypothyroidism, but few studies have examined the clinical significance of thyrotropin-defined hypothyroidism in CKD and ESRD. Of even greater uncertainty are the risks and benefits of thyroid hormone replacement, which bear a narrow therapeutic-to-toxic window and are frequently prescribed to CKD and ESRD patients. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which hypothyroidism adversely affects cardiovascular health; examine the prognostic implications of hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone alterations and exogenous thyroid hormone replacement in CKD and ESRD; and identify areas of uncertainty related to the interplay between hypothyroidism, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease requiring further investigation. PMID:24574542

Nutrition and human physiological adaptations to space flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, H. W.; LeBlanc, A. D.; Putcha, L.; Whitson, P. A.

1993-01-01

Space flight provides a model for the study of healthy individuals undergoing unique stresses. This review focuses on how physiological adaptations to weightlessness may affect nutrient and food requirements in space. These adaptations include reductions in body water and plasma volume, which affect the renal and cardiovascular systems and thereby fluid and electrolyte requirements. Changes in muscle mass and function may affect requirements for energy, protein and amino acids. Changes in bone mass lead to increased urinary calcium concentrations, which may increase the risk of forming renal stones. Space motion sickness may influence putative changes in gastro-intestinal-hepatic function; neurosensory alterations may affect smell and taste. Some or all of these effects may be ameliorated through the use of specially designed dietary countermeasures.

Endoplasmic Reticulum and the Unfolded Protein Response: Dynamics and Metabolic Integration

PubMed Central

Bravo, Roberto; Parra, Valentina; Gatica, Damián; Rodriguez, Andrea E.; Torrealba, Natalia; Paredes, Felipe; Wang, Zhao V.; Zorzano, Antonio; Hill, Joseph A.; Jaimovich, Enrique; Quest, Andrew F.G.; Lavandero, Sergio

2013-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a dynamic intracellular organelle with multiple functions essential for cellular homeostasis, development, and stress responsiveness. In response to cellular stress, a well-established signaling cascade, the unfolded protein response (UPR), is activated. This intricate mechanism is an important means of reestablishing cellular homeostasis and alleviating the inciting stress. Now, emerging evidence has demonstrated that the UPR influences cellular metabolism through diverse mechanisms, including calcium and lipid transfer, raising the prospect of involvement of these processes in the pathogenesis of disease, including neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Here, we review the distinct functions of the ER and UPR from a metabolic point of view, highlighting their association with prevalent pathologies. PMID:23317820

The cardiovascular macrophage: a missing link between gut microbiota and cardiovascular diseases?

PubMed

Chen, X; Zheng, L; Zheng, Y-Q; Yang, Q-G; Lin, Y; Ni, F-H; Li, Z-H

2018-03-01

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is on the rise. Interventions that would aid prevention or treatment of these diseases are essential. The microbes residing in the gut, collectively called "gut microbiota", produce a plethora of compounds that enter the bloodstream and affect the cardiovascular system. Signals ascending from gut microbiome are believed to modulate differentiation and functional activity of macrophages residing in perivascular tissue, atherosclerotic plaques, and perivascular areas of the brain. Cardiovascular macrophages may be the key players that transform the signals ascending from gut microbiome into increased predisposition to cardiovascular diseases. The present review summarizes the knowledge to date on potential relationships between gut microbiota, cardiovascular macrophages, and cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular impact in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: Clinical management considerations.

PubMed

Chirakarnjanakorn, Srisakul; Navaneethan, Sankar D; Francis, Gary S; Tang, W H Wilson

2017-04-01

Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis develop both structural and functional cardiovascular abnormalities. Despite improvement of dialysis technology, cardiovascular mortality of this population remains high. The pathophysiological mechanisms of these changes are complex and not well understood. It has been postulated that several non-traditional, uremic-related risk factors, especially the long-term uremic state, which may affect the cardiovascular system. There are many cardiovascular changes that occur in chronic kidney disease including left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, microvascular disease, accelerated atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. These structural and functional changes in patients receiving chronic dialysis make them more susceptible to myocardial ischemia. Hemodialysis itself may adversely affect the cardiovascular system due to non-physiologic fluid removal, leading to hemodynamic instability and initiation of systemic inflammation. In the past decade there has been growing awareness that pathophysiological mechanisms cause cardiovascular dysfunction in patients on chronic dialysis, and there are now pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies that may improve the poor quality of life and high mortality rate that these patients experience. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between sensorimotor peripheral nerve function and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function in older adults from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study.

PubMed

Lange-Maia, Brittney S; Newman, Anne B; Jakicic, John M; Cauley, Jane A; Boudreau, Robert M; Schwartz, Ann V; Simonsick, Eleanor M; Satterfield, Suzanne; Vinik, Aaron I; Zivkovic, Sasa; Harris, Tamara B; Strotmeyer, Elsa S

2017-10-01

Age-related peripheral nervous system (PNS) impairments are highly prevalent in older adults. Although sensorimotor and cardiovascular autonomic function have been shown to be related in persons with diabetes, the nature of the relationship in general community-dwelling older adult populations is unknown. Health, Aging and Body Composition participants (n=2399, age=76.5±2.9years, 52% women, 38% black) underwent peripheral nerve testing at the 2000/01 clinic visit. Nerve conduction amplitude and velocity were measured at the peroneal motor nerve. Sensory nerve function was assessed with vibration detection threshold and monofilament (1.4-g/10-g) testing at the big toe. Symptoms of lower-extremity peripheral neuropathy were collected by self-report. Cardiovascular autonomic function indicators included postural hypotension, resting heart rate (HR), as well as HR response to and recovery from submaximal exercise testing (400m walk). Multivariable modeling adjusted for demographic/lifestyle factors, medication use and comorbid conditions. In fully adjusted models, poor motor nerve conduction velocity (<40m/s) was associated with greater odds of postural hypotension, (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.0-2.5), while poor motor amplitude (<1mV) was associated with 2.3beats/min (p=0.003) higher resting HR. No associations were observed between sensory nerve function or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function. Motor nerve function and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function remained significantly related even after considering many potentially shared risk factors. Future studies should investigate common underlying processes for developing multiple PNS impairments in older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Sustained Human Centrifugation on Autonomic Cardiovascular and Vestibular Function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, Todd T.; Wood, Scott J.; Brown, Troy E.; Benavides, Edgar W.; Harm, Deborah L.; Rupert, A. H.

2002-01-01

Repeated exposure to +Gz enhances human baroreflex responsiveness and improves tolerance to cardiovascular stress. However, both sustained exposure to +Gx and changes in otolith function resulting from the gravitational changes of space flight and parabolic flight may adversely affect autonomic cardiovascular function and orthostatic tolerance. HYPOTHESES: Baroreflex function and orthostatic tolerance are acutely improved by a single sustained (30 min) exposure to +3Gz but not +3Gx. Moreover, after 30 min of +3Gx, any changes that occur in autonomic cardiovascular function will relate commensurately to changes in otolith function. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy human subjects were first exposed to 5 min of +3 Gz centrifugation and then subsequently up to a total of30 min of either +3Gz (n = 15) or +3Gx (n = 7) centrifugation. Tests of autonomic cardiovascular function both before and after both types of centrifugation included: (a) power spectral determinations of beat-to-beat R-R intervals and arterial pressures; (b) carotid-cardiac baroreflex tests; ( c) Valsalva tests; and (d) 30-min head-up tilt (HUT) tests. Otolith function was assessed during centrifugation by the linear vestibulo-ocular reflex and both before and after centrifugation by measurements of ocular counter-rolling and dynamic posturography. RESULTS: All four +3Gz subjects who were intolerant to HUT before centrifugation became tolerant to HUT after centrifugation. The operational point of the carotid-cardiac baroreflex and the Valsalva-related baroreflex were also enhanced in the +3Gz group but not in the +3Gx group. No significant vestibular-autonomic relationships were detected, other than a significant vestibular-cerebrovascular interaction reported previously. CONCLUSIONS: A single, sustained exposure to +3 Gz centrifugation acutely improves baroreflex function and orthostatic tolerance whereas a similar exposure to +3 Gx centrifugation appears to have less effect.

Effects of androgens on cardiovascular remodeling.

PubMed

Ikeda, Yasumasa; Aihara, Ken-ichi; Yoshida, Sumiko; Akaike, Masashi; Matsumoto, Toshio

2012-07-01

Androgens, the male sex hormones, exert various biological effects on many target organs through the transcriptional effects of the nuclear androgen receptor (AR). ARs are expressed not only in classical target organs, such as the brain, genital organs, bone, and skeletal muscles, but also in the cardiovascular system. Because the female sex hormones estrogens are well-known to protect against cardiovascular disease, sex has been considered to have a significant clinical impact on cardiovascular mortality. However, the influence of androgens on the cardiovascular system has not been fully elucidated. To clarify this issue, we analyzed the effects of administration of angiotensin II and doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, in a loading model in male wild-type and AR-deficient mice. In this review, we focus on the actions of androgens as potential targets for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in males.

Serum C-reactive protein in the prediction of cardiovascular diseases: Overview of the latest clinical studies and public health practice.

PubMed

Avan, Amir; Tavakoly Sany, Seyedeh Belin; Ghayour-Mobarhan, Majid; Rahimi, Hamid Reza; Tajfard, Mohammad; Ferns, Gordon

2018-06-22

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Epidemiological studies using high-sensitivity assays for serum C-reactive protein have shown a consistent association between cardiovascular disease risk and serum C-reactive protein concentrations. C-reactive protein is a biomarker for inflammation, and has been established in clinical practice as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease events. There is evidence that serum C-reactive protein is an excellent biomarker of cardiovascular disease and is also an independent and strong predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Further characterization of the impact and influence of lifestyle exposures and genetic variation on the C-reactive protein response to cardiovascular disease events may have implications for the therapeutic approaches to reduce cardiovascular disease events. This review summarizes the studies that have examined the association between serum C-reactive protein and the risk of cardiovascular disease. We also discuss the impact of independent factors and C-reactive protein genetic polymorphisms on baseline plasma C-reactive protein levels. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluating the Cardiovascular Safety of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

PubMed

Antman, Elliott M

2017-05-23

Some drugs used to treat noncardiovascular conditions may adversely impact the cardiovascular status of individuals both with and without known cardiovascular disease. When the US Food and Drug Administration judges the potential cardiovascular safety signal to be of sufficient concern, it may require the pharmaceutical manufacturer of the drug in question to conduct a postmarketing (phase 4) randomized controlled trial (RCT). Although historically many phase 4 RCTs focused on efficacy (using a superiority design), contemporary phase 4 RCTs often are focused on safety and use a noninferiority design. The choices made by investigators during the planning stage of a postmarketing phase 4 RCT dedicated to the evaluation of cardiovascular safety can influence the ability to compare the standard and test agents. Multiple factors reflecting the conduct of a phase 4 RCT for a general medical condition may influence interpretation of a cardiovascular safety signal. The higher the rates of failure to adhere to the protocol and dropout from the study, the greater the risk of bias. Trials evaluating the cardiovascular safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) when used for arthritis are difficult to conduct and even more challenging to interpret. Concerns include the comparison of drug regimens that do not provide comparable analgesic efficacy and problems with adherence to the protocol and retention in the study. On the basis of phase 4 RCTs of NSAIDs to date, it appears that a comparatively low dose of celecoxib administered to low-risk subjects is associated with approximately the same cardiovascular risk as NSAIDs with less cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity, but at the cost of not controlling arthritic pain as effectively. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Androgens and Hypertension in Men and Women: a Unifying View.

PubMed

Moretti, Costanzo; Lanzolla, Giulia; Moretti, Marta; Gnessi, Lucio; Carmina, Enrico

2017-05-01

This review was designed to revaluate the androgen role on the mechanisms of hypertension and cardiovascular risks in both men and women. Sex steroids are involved in the regulation of blood pressure, but pathophysiological mechanism is not well understood. Androgens have an important effect on metabolism, adipose and endothelial cell function, and cardiovascular risk in both men and women. A focal point in this contest is represented by the possible gender-specific regulation of different tissues and in particular of the adipose cell. Available data confirm that androgen deficiency is linked to increased prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Adipocyte dysfunction seems to be the main involved mechanism. Androgen replacement reduces inflammation state in man, protecting by metabolic syndrome progression. In women, androgen excess has been considered as promoting factor of cardiovascular risk. However, recent data suggest that excessive androgen production has little effect per se in inducing hypertension in young women of reproductive age. Also in postmenopausal women, data on relative androgen excess and hypertension are missing, while adrenal androgen deficiency has been associated to increased mortality. Molecular mechanisms linking androgen dysregulation to hypertension are almost Unknown, but they seem to be related to increased visceral fat, promoting a chronic inflammatory state through different mechanisms. One of these may involve the recruitment and over-activation of NF-kB, a ubiquitous transcription factor also expressed in adipose cells, where it may cause the production of cytokines and other immune factors. The NF-kB signalling pathway may also influence brown adipogenesis leading to the preferential enlargement of visceral adipocytes. Chronic inflammation and adipocyte dysfunction may alter endothelial function leading to hypertension. Both in men and in women, particularly in the post-menopausal period, hypoandrogenism seems to be a major determinant of the increased prevalence of hypertension. The relationship between androgen signalling and NF-kB might explain the pathophysiological mechanism leading to the development of endothelium dysfunction and hypertension.

Lifetime socioeconomic position and mortality: prospective observational study.

PubMed Central

Smith, G. D.; Hart, C.; Blane, D.; Gillis, C.; Hawthorne, V.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of socioeconomic position over a lifetime on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, on morbidity, and on mortality from various causes. DESIGN: Prospective observational study with 21 years of follow up. Social class was determined as manual or non-manual at three stages of participants' lives: from the social class of their father's job, the social class of their first job, and the social class of their job at the time of screening. A cumulative social class indicator was constructed, ranging from non-manual social class at all three stages of life to manual social class at all three stages. SETTING: 27 workplaces in the west of Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 5766 men aged 35-64 at the time of examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and level of risk factors for cardiovascular disease; morbidity; and mortality from broad causes of death. RESULTS: From non-manual social class locations at all three life stages to manual at all stages there were strong positive trends for blood pressure, body mass index, current cigarette smoking, angina, and bronchitis. Inverse trends were seen for height, cholesterol concentration, lung function, and being an ex-smoker. 1580 men died during follow up. Age adjusted relative death rates in comparison with the men of non-manual social class locations at all three stages of life were 1.29 (95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.56) in men of two non-manual and one manual social class; 1.45 (1.21 to 1.73) in men of two manual and one non-manual social class; and 1.71 (1.46 to 2.01) in men of manual social class at all three stages. Mortality from cardiovascular disease showed a similar graded association with cumulative social class. Mortality from cancer was mainly raised among men of manual social class at all three stages. Adjustment for a wide range of risk factors caused little attenuation in the association of cumulative social class with mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease; greater attenuation was seen in the association with mortality from non-cardiovascular, non-cancer disease. Fathers having a manual [corrected] occupation was strongly associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease: relative rate 1.41 (1.15 to 1.72). Participants' social class at the time of screening was more strongly associated than the other social class indicators with mortality from cancer and from non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic factors acting over the lifetime affect health and risk of premature death. The relative importance of influences at different stages varies for the cause of death. Studies with data on socioeconomic circumstances at only one stage of life are inadequate for fully elucidating the contribution of socioeconomic factors to health and mortality risk. PMID:9055712

Changes in Nutritional Status Impact Immune Cell Metabolism and Function.

PubMed

Alwarawrah, Yazan; Kiernan, Kaitlin; MacIver, Nancie J

2018-01-01

Immune cell function and metabolism are closely linked. Many studies have now clearly demonstrated that alterations in cellular metabolism influence immune cell function and that, conversely, immune cell function determines the cellular metabolic state. Less well understood, however, are the effects of systemic metabolism or whole organism nutritional status on immune cell function and metabolism. Several studies have demonstrated that undernutrition is associated with immunosuppression, which leads to both increased susceptibility to infection and protection against several types of autoimmune disease, whereas overnutrition is associated with low-grade, chronic inflammation that increases the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease, promotes autoreactivity, and disrupts protective immunity. Here, we review the effects of nutritional status on immunity and highlight the effects of nutrition on circulating cytokines and immune cell populations in both human studies and mouse models. As T cells are critical members of the immune system, which direct overall immune response, we will focus this review on the influence of systemic nutritional status on T cell metabolism and function. Several cytokines and hormones have been identified which mediate the effects of nutrition on T cell metabolism and function through the expression and action of key regulatory signaling proteins. Understanding how T cells are sensitive to both inadequate and overabundant nutrients may enhance our ability to target immune cell metabolism and alter immunity in both malnutrition and obesity.

Does point-of-care functional echocardiography enhance cardiovascular care in the NICU?

PubMed

Sehgal, A; McNamara, P J

2008-11-01

Although the last two decades have seen major advances in the care of sick, extremely premature newborns, the approach to cardiovascular assessment and monitoring remains suboptimal owing to an overreliance on poorly predictive clinical markers such as heart rate or capillary refill time. Point-of-care functional echocardiography (PCFecho) enables real-time evaluation of cardiac performance and systemic hemodynamics to characterize acute physiology, identify the exact nature of cardiovascular compromise and guide therapeutic decisions. In this article, we will review four clinical scenarios where bedside functional cardiac imaging enabled delineation of the real clinical problem and refinement of the therapeutic care plan with direct patient benefits.

Cannabinoids in the Cardiovascular System.

PubMed

Ho, Wing S V; Kelly, Melanie E M

2017-01-01

Cannabinoids are known to modulate cardiovascular functions including heart rate, vascular tone, and blood pressure in humans and animal models. Essential components of the endocannabinoid system, namely, the production, degradation, and signaling pathways of endocannabinoids have been described not only in the central and peripheral nervous system but also in myocardium, vasculature, platelets, and immune cells. The mechanisms of cardiovascular responses to endocannabinoids are often complex and may involve cannabinoid CB 1 and CB 2 receptors or non-CB 1/2 receptor targets. Preclinical and some clinical studies have suggested that targeting the endocannabinoid system can improve cardiovascular functions in a number of pathophysiological conditions, including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, sepsis, and atherosclerosis. In this chapter, we summarize the local and systemic cardiovascular effects of cannabinoids and highlight our current knowledge regarding the therapeutic potential of endocannabinoid signaling and modulation. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examination of Susceptibility to Libby Amphibole Asbestos-Induced Injury in Rat Models of Cardiovascular Disease

EPA Science Inventory

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered a risk factor for the exacerbation of air pollution health effects, no studies have been done assessing the influence of the disease on the development of lung injury induced by asbestos exposure. In this study we examined lung ...

History of Cardiovascular Surgery at Toronto General Hospital.

PubMed

Lee, Myunghyun M; Alvarez, Juglans; Rao, Vivek

2016-01-01

The Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Toronto General Hospital has enjoyed an enviable history of academic achievement and clinical success. The foundations of this success are innovation, creativity and excellence in patient care, which continue to influence the current members of the division. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of family in a dietary risk reduction intervention for cardiovascular disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Diet is an essential strategy for the prevention of primary and secondary cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The objectives were to examine: how families at increased risk of CVD perceived personal risk, their motivations to make dietary changes, their understanding of diet, and the influence of o...

[Effects of radio- and microwaves emitted by wireless communication devices on the functions of the nervous system selected elements].

PubMed

Politański, Piotr; Bortkiewicz, Alicja; Zmyślony, Marek

Nervous system is the most "electric" system in the human body. The research of the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of different frequencies on its functioning have been carried out for years. This paper presents the results of the scientific literature review on the EMF influence on the functioning of the human nervous system with a particular emphasis on the recent studies of the modern wireless communication and data transmission systems. In the majority of the analyzed areas the published research results do not show EMF effects on the nervous system, except for the influence of GSM telephony signal on resting EEG and EEG during patients' sleep and the influence of radiofrequency EMF on the cardiovascular regulation. In other analyzed areas (EMF impact on sleep, the evoked potentials and cognitive processes), there are no consistent results supporting any influence of electromagnetic fields. Neurophysiological studies of the effect of radio- and microwaves on the brain functions in humans are still considered inconclusive. This is among others due to, different exposure conditions, a large number of variables tested, deficiencies in repeatability of research and statistical uncertainties. However, methodological guidelines are already available giving a chance of unifying research that definitely needs to be continued in order to identify biophysical mechanisms of interaction between EMFs and the nervous system. One of the EMF research aspects, on which more and more attention is paid, are inter-individual differences. Med Pr 2016;67(3):411-421. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

A systematic review of patient reported factors associated with uptake and completion of cardiovascular lifestyle behaviour change.

PubMed

Murray, Jenni; Craigs, Cheryl Leanne; Hill, Kate Mary; Honey, Stephanie; House, Allan

2012-12-08

Healthy lifestyles are an important facet of cardiovascular risk management. Unfortunately many individuals fail to engage with lifestyle change programmes. There are many factors that patients report as influencing their decisions about initiating lifestyle change. This is challenging for health care professionals who may lack the skills and time to address a broad range of barriers to lifestyle behaviour. Guidance on which factors to focus on during lifestyle consultations may assist healthcare professionals to hone their skills and knowledge leading to more productive patient interactions with ultimately better uptake of lifestyle behaviour change support. The aim of our study was to clarify which influences reported by patients predict uptake and completion of formal lifestyle change programmes. A systematic narrative review of quantitative observational studies reporting factors (influences) associated with uptake and completion of lifestyle behaviour change programmes. Quantitative observational studies involving patients at high risk of cardiovascular events were identified through electronic searching and screened against pre-defined selection criteria. Factors were extracted and organised into an existing qualitative framework. 374 factors were extracted from 32 studies. Factors most consistently associated with uptake of lifestyle change related to support from family and friends, transport and other costs, and beliefs about the causes of illness and lifestyle change. Depression and anxiety also appear to influence uptake as well as completion. Many factors show inconsistent patterns with respect to uptake and completion of lifestyle change programmes. There are a small number of factors that consistently appear to influence uptake and completion of cardiovascular lifestyle behaviour change. These factors could be considered during patient consultations to promote a tailored approach to decision making about the most suitable type and level lifestyle behaviour change support.

21 CFR 870.3640 - Indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3640 Section 870.3640 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3640...

21 CFR 870.1435 - Single-function, preprogrammed diagnostic computer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Single-function, preprogrammed diagnostic computer. 870.1435 Section 870.1435 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Diagnostic Devices § 870.1435...

21 CFR 870.3630 - Pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pacemaker generator function analyzer. 870.3630 Section 870.3630 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3630 Pacemaker...

Exercise reveals impairments in left ventricular systolic function in patients with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Fournier, Sara B; Reger, Brian L; Donley, David A; Bonner, Daniel E; Warden, Bradford E; Gharib, Wissam; Failinger, Conard F; Olfert, Melissa D; Frisbee, Jefferson C; Olfert, I Mark; Chantler, Paul D

2014-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the manifestation of a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors and is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is suggested to be mediated, in part, by resting left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. However, to what extent resting LV systolic function is impaired in MetS is controversial, and there are no data indicating whether LV systolic function is impaired during exercise. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to examine comprehensively the LV and arterial responses to exercise in individuals with MetS without diabetes and/or overt cardiovascular disease in comparison to a healthy control population. Cardiovascular function was characterized using Doppler echocardiography and gas exchange in individuals with MetS (n = 27) versus healthy control subjects (n = 20) at rest and during peak exercise. At rest, individuals with MetS displayed normal LV systolic function but reduced LV diastolic function compared with healthy control subjects. During peak exercise, individuals with MetS had impaired contractility, pump performance and vasodilator reserve capacity versus control subjects. A blunted contractile reserve response resulted in diminished arterial-ventricular coupling reserve and limited aerobic capacity in individuals with MetS versus control subjects. These findings are of clinical importance, because they provide insight into the pathophysiological changes in MetS that may predispose this population of individuals to an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Fear and disgust in women: Differentiation of cardiovascular regulation patterns.

PubMed

Comtesse, Hannah; Stemmler, Gerhard

2017-02-01

Both fear and disgust facilitate avoidance of threat. From a functional view, however, cardiovascular responses to fear and disgust should differ as they prepare for appropriate behavior to protect from injury and infection, respectively. Therefore, we examined the cardiovascular responses to fear and contamination-related disgust in comparison to an emotionally neutral state induced with auditory scripts and film clips in female participants. Ten emotion and motivation self-reports and ninecardiovascular response factors derived from 23 cardiovascular variables served as dependent variables. Self-reports confirmed the specific induction of fear and disgust. In addition, fear and disgust differed in their cardiovascular response patterning. For fear, we observed specific increases in factors indicating vasoconstriction and cardiac pump function. For disgust, we found specific increases in vagal cardiac control and decreases in myocardial contractility. These findings provide support for the cardiovascular specificity of fear and disgust and are discussed in terms of a basic emotions approach. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Techniques and Applications

PubMed Central

Salerno, Michael; Sharif, Behzad; Arheden, Håkan; Kumar, Andreas; Axel, Leon; Li, Debiao; Neubauer, Stefan

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has become the gold standard for evaluating myocardial function, volumes, and scarring. Additionally, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is unique in its comprehensive tissue characterization, including assessment of myocardial edema, myocardial siderosis, myocardial perfusion, and diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has become an indispensable tool in the evaluation of congenital heart disease, heart failure, cardiac masses, pericardial disease, and coronary artery disease. This review will highlight some recent novel cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging techniques, concepts, and applications. PMID:28611116

[Autophagy in the cardiovascular system].

PubMed

Kheloufi, Marouane; Rautou, Pierre-Emmanuel; Boulanger, Chantal M

2017-03-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Studies regarding the role of autophagy in cardiac and vascular tissues have opened new therapeutic avenues to treat cardiovascular disorders. Altogether, these studies point out that autophagic activity needs to be maintained at an optimal level to preserve cardiovascular function. Reaching this goal constitutes a challenge for future efficient therapeutic strategies. The present review therefore highlights recent advances in the understanding of the role of autophagy in cardiovascular pathologies. © 2017 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

High-Intensity Interval Training After Stroke: An Opportunity to Promote Functional Recovery, Cardiovascular Health, and Neuroplasticity.

PubMed

Crozier, Jennifer; Roig, Marc; Eng, Janice J; MacKay-Lyons, Marilyn; Fung, Joyce; Ploughman, Michelle; Bailey, Damian M; Sweet, Shane N; Giacomantonio, Nicholas; Thiel, Alexander; Trivino, Michael; Tang, Ada

2018-04-01

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Individuals poststroke possess less than half of the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as their nonstroke counterparts, leading to inactivity, deconditioning, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Preserving cardiovascular health is critical to lower stroke risk; however, stroke rehabilitation typically provides limited opportunity for cardiovascular exercise. Optimal cardiovascular training parameters to maximize recovery in stroke survivors also remains unknown. While stroke rehabilitation recommendations suggest the use of moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) to improve CRF, neither is it routinely implemented in clinical practice, nor is the intensity always sufficient to elicit a training effect. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a potentially effective alternative that encompasses brief high-intensity bursts of exercise interspersed with bouts of recovery, aiming to maximize cardiovascular exercise intensity in a time-efficient manner. HIIT may provide an alternative exercise intervention and invoke more pronounced benefits poststroke. To provide an updated review of HIIT poststroke through ( a) synthesizing current evidence; ( b) proposing preliminary considerations of HIIT parameters to optimize benefit; ( c) discussing potential mechanisms underlying changes in function, cardiovascular health, and neuroplasticity following HIIT; and ( d) discussing clinical implications and directions for future research. Preliminary evidence from 10 studies report HIIT-associated improvements in functional, cardiovascular, and neuroplastic outcomes poststroke; however, optimal HIIT parameters remain unknown. Larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish ( a) effectiveness, safety, and optimal training parameters within more heterogeneous poststroke populations; (b) potential mechanisms of HIIT-associated improvements; and ( c) adherence and psychosocial outcomes.

Bayesian network modeling: A case study of an epidemiologic system analysis of cardiovascular risk.

PubMed

Fuster-Parra, P; Tauler, P; Bennasar-Veny, M; Ligęza, A; López-González, A A; Aguiló, A

2016-04-01

An extensive, in-depth study of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) seems to be of crucial importance in the research of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in order to prevent (or reduce) the chance of developing or dying from CVD. The main focus of data analysis is on the use of models able to discover and understand the relationships between different CVRF. In this paper a report on applying Bayesian network (BN) modeling to discover the relationships among thirteen relevant epidemiological features of heart age domain in order to analyze cardiovascular lost years (CVLY), cardiovascular risk score (CVRS), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is presented. Furthermore, the induced BN was used to make inference taking into account three reasoning patterns: causal reasoning, evidential reasoning, and intercausal reasoning. Application of BN tools has led to discovery of several direct and indirect relationships between different CVRF. The BN analysis showed several interesting results, among them: CVLY was highly influenced by smoking being the group of men the one with highest risk in CVLY; MetS was highly influence by physical activity (PA) being again the group of men the one with highest risk in MetS, and smoking did not show any influence. BNs produce an intuitive, transparent, graphical representation of the relationships between different CVRF. The ability of BNs to predict new scenarios when hypothetical information is introduced makes BN modeling an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool of special interest in epidemiological studies. As CVD is multifactorial the use of BNs seems to be an adequate modeling tool. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Cushing's syndrome - Endogenous hypercortisolemia on cardiovascular autonomic functions.

PubMed

Jyotsna, V P; Naseer, Ali; Sreenivas, V; Gupta, Nandita; Deepak, K K

2011-02-24

Cushing's syndrome is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It's also associated with other cardiac risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity. Cardiovascular autonomic function impairment could predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Twenty five patients with Cushing's syndrome without diabetes and twenty five age matched healthy controls underwent a battery of cardiovascular autonomic function tests including deep breath test, Valsalva test, hand grip test, cold pressor test and response to standing from lying position. The rise in diastolic blood pressure on hand grip test and diastolic BP response to cold pressor test in Cushing's patients were significantly less compared to healthy controls (9.83 ± 3.90 vs 20.64 ± 9.55, p<0.001 and 10.09 ± 4.07 vs 15.33 ± 6.26, p<0.01 respectively). The E:I ratio on deep breathing test was also less in the patients in comparison to controls (1.36 ± 0.21 vs 1.53 ± 0.19, p<0.01). Seven patients underwent the same battery of tests 6 months after a curative surgery showing a trend towards normalization with significant improvement in expiratory to inspiratory ratio and sinus arrhythmia delta heart rate. To conclude, this study showed that chronic endogenous hypercortisolism in Cushing's is associated with an impaired sympathetic cardiovascular autonomic functioning. After a curative surgery, some of the parameters tend to improve. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular dynamics of Canadian Indigenous peoples.

PubMed

Foulds, Heather J A; Bredin, Shannon S D; Warburton, Darren E R

2018-12-01

Limited understanding of Indigenous adults' cardiovascular structure and function exists despite high rates of cardiovascular disease. This investigation characterised cardiovascular structure and function among young Indigenous adults and compared to age- and sex-matched European descendants. Echocardiographic assessments included apical two- and four-chamber images, parasternal short-axis images and Doppler. Analyses included cardiac volumes, dimensions, velocities and strains. Cardiovascular structure and function were similar between Indigenous (n=10, 25 ± 3 years, 4 women) and European-descendant (n=10, 24 ± 4 years, 4 women,) adults, though European descendants demonstrated greater systemic vascular resistance (18.19 ± 3.94 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 vs. 15.36 ± 2.97 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 , p=0.03). Among Indigenous adults, women demonstrated greater arterial elastance (0.80 ± 0.15 mmHg·mL -1 ·m -2 vs. 0.55 ± 0.17 mmHg·mL -1 ·m -2 , p=0.02) and possibly greater systemic vascular resistance (17.51 ± 2.20 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 vs. 13.93 ± 2.61 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 , p=0.07). Indigenous men had greater cardiac size, dimensions and output, though body size differences accounted for cardiac size differences. Similar cardiac rotation and strains were observed across sexes. Arterial elastance and cardiac size were different between Indigenous men and women while cardiovascular structure and function may be similar between Indigenous and European descendants.

Differential effects of cardiovascular and resistance exercise on functional mobility in individuals with advanced cancer: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Litterini, Amy J; Fieler, Vickie K; Cavanaugh, James T; Lee, Jeannette Q

2013-12-01

To compare the effects of resistance and cardiovascular exercise on functional mobility in individuals with advanced cancer. Prospective, 2-group pretest-posttest pilot study with randomization to either resistance or cardiovascular exercise mode. Comprehensive community cancer center and a hospital-based fitness facility. Volunteer sample of individuals (N=66; 30 men; 36 women; mean age, 62y) with advanced cancer recruited through the cancer center, palliative care service, rehabilitation department, and a local hospice. Ten weeks of individualized resistance or cardiovascular exercise, prescribed and monitored by oncology-trained exercise personnel. Functional mobility was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB); self-reported pain and fatigue were assessed secondarily using visual analog scales. Data were analyzed using a split plot 2×2 analysis of variance (α=.05). Fifty-two patients (78.8%) completed the study: 23 (67.7%) of 34 patients in the resistance arm and 29 (90.6%) of 32 patients in the cardiovascular arm. No participant withdrew because of study adverse events. Ten-week outcomes (n=52) included a significant increase in SPPB total score (P<.001), increase in gait speed (P=.001), and reduction in fatigue (P=.05). Although cardiovascular exercise participants had a modestly greater improvement in SPPB total score than resistance training participants (F1,49=4.21, P=.045), the difference was not confirmed in a subsequent intention-to-treat analysis (N=66). Individuals with advanced cancer appear to benefit from exercise for improving functional mobility. Neither resistance nor cardiovascular exercise appeared to have a strong differential effect on outcome. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of augmenting dialysis frequency and duration on cardiovascular function.

PubMed

Ly, Joseph; Chan, Christopher T

2006-01-01

Conventional hemodialysis (CHD) only delivers 10% to 15% of renal function in a nonphysiological intermittent mode. Because it occurs nightly and is sustained over a longer dialysis time, the uremic clearance provided by nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) far exceeds that of CHD. Increasing the dose and frequency of dialysis by NHD has been demonstrated, in both short- and long-term studies, to reverse several important risk factors for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage renal disease such as hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, systolic dysfunction, conduit artery stiffness, attenuated baroreflex regulation of heart rate, disturbed heart rate variability, sleep apnea, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation. In addition, the Toronto NHD experience has reported an emerging body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of NHD on anemia management, inflammation, and endothelial progenitor cell biology. The mechanism(s) by which nocturnal hemodialysis improves cardiovascular outcomes are under active investigation by our group. It is tempting to speculate that NHD has the potential to decrease endothelial/myocardial injury and restore simultaneously endothelial repair, thereby improving cardiovascular function in patients with end-stage renal disease. The objectives of the present document are (1) to review the mechanisms underlying dialysis-associated cardiovascular morbidity and (2) to describe the restorative potential of NHD on the cardiovascular system.

Neonatal autonomic function after pregnancy complications and early cardiovascular development.

PubMed

Aye, Christina Y L; Lewandowski, Adam James; Oster, Julien; Upton, Ross; Davis, Esther; Kenworthy, Yvonne; Boardman, Henry; Yu, Grace Z; Siepmann, Timo; Adwani, Satish; McCormick, Kenny; Sverrisdottir, Yrsa B; Leeson, Paul

2018-05-23

Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a predictor of later cardiac risk. This study tested whether pregnancy complications that may have long-term offspring cardiac sequelae are associated with differences in HRV at birth, and whether these HRV differences identify abnormal cardiovascular development in the postnatal period. Ninety-eight sleeping neonates had 5-min electrocardiogram recordings at birth. Standard time and frequency domain parameters were calculated and related to cardiovascular measures at birth and 3 months of age. Increasing prematurity, but not maternal hypertension or growth restriction, was associated with decreased HRV at birth, as demonstrated by a lower root mean square of the difference between adjacent NN intervals (rMSSD) and low (LF) and high-frequency power (HF), with decreasing gestational age (p < 0.001, p = 0.009 and p = 0.007, respectively). We also demonstrated a relative imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic tone, compared to the term infants. However, differences in autonomic function did not predict cardiovascular measures at either time point. Altered cardiac autonomic function at birth relates to prematurity rather than other pregnancy complications and does not predict cardiovascular developmental patterns during the first 3 months post birth. Long-term studies will be needed to understand the relevance to cardiovascular risk.

Tachycardia, reduced vagal capacity, and age-dependent ventricular dysfunction arising from diminished expression of the presynaptic choline transporter.

PubMed

English, Brett A; Appalsamy, Martin; Diedrich, Andre; Ruggiero, Alicia M; Lund, David; Wright, Jane; Keller, Nancy R; Louderback, Katherine M; Robertson, David; Blakely, Randy D

2010-09-01

Healthy cardiovascular function relies on a balanced and responsive integration of noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the heart. High-affinity choline uptake by cholinergic terminals is pivotal for efficient ACh production and release. To date, the cardiovascular impact of diminished choline transporter (CHT) expression has not been directly examined, largely due to the transporter's inaccessibility in vivo. Here, we describe findings from cardiovascular experiments using transgenic mice that bear a CHT genetic deficiency. Whereas CHT knockout (CHT(-/-)) mice exhibit early postnatal lethality, CHT heterozygous (CHT(+/-)) mice survive, grow, and reproduce normally and exhibit normal spontaneous behaviors. However, the CHT(+/-) mouse heart displays significantly reduced levels of high-affinity choline uptake accompanied by significantly reduced levels of ACh. Telemeterized recordings of cardiovascular function in these mice revealed tachycardia and hypertension at rest. After treadmill exercise, CHT(+/-) mice exhibited slower heart rate recovery, consistent with a diminished cholinergic reserve, a contention validated through direct vagal nerve stimulation. Echocardiographic and histological experiments revealed an age-dependent decrease in fractional shortening, increased left ventricular dimensions, and increased ventricular fibrosis, consistent with ventricular dysfunction. These cardiovascular phenotypes of CHT(+/-) mice encourage an evaluation of humans bearing reduced CHT expression for their resiliency in maintaining proper heart function as well as risk for cardiovascular disease.

Bulbospinal substance P and sympathetic regulation of the cardiovascular system: a review.

PubMed

Helke, C J; Charlton, C G; Keeler, J R

1985-01-01

The neurotransmitter role of substance P in mediating sympathoexcitatory effects in the spinal cord and cardiovascular effects elicited from the ventral medulla is presented. SP neurons located in the ventral medulla project to the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the thoracic spinal cord. Intrathecal administration of a SP analog excites sympathetic outflow to the cardiovascular system. Likewise, activation of the ventral medulla results in sympathetically mediated increases in blood pressure and heart rate which are blocked with SP antagonists. The IML contained a high density of SP binding sites through which the peptide likely exerts its sympathoexcitatory influence on the cardiovascular system.

A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 17 in the Cardiovascular and Central Nervous Systems.

PubMed

Xu, Jiaxi; Mukerjee, Snigdha; Silva-Alves, Cristiane R A; Carvalho-Galvão, Alynne; Cruz, Josiane C; Balarini, Camille M; Braga, Valdir A; Lazartigues, Eric; França-Silva, Maria S

2016-01-01

ADAM17 is a metalloprotease and disintegrin that lodges in the plasmatic membrane of several cell types and is able to cleave a wide variety of cell surface proteins. It is somatically expressed in mammalian organisms and its proteolytic action influences several physiological and pathological processes. This review focuses on the structure of ADAM17, its signaling in the cardiovascular system and its participation in certain disorders involving the heart, blood vessels, and neural regulation of autonomic and cardiovascular modulation.

Randomised controlled trial of a 12 week yoga intervention on negative affective states, cardiovascular and cognitive function in post-cardiac rehabilitation patients.

PubMed

Yeung, Alan; Kiat, Hosen; Denniss, A Robert; Cheema, Birinder S; Bensoussan, Alan; Machliss, Bianca; Colagiuri, Ben; Chang, Dennis

2014-10-24

Negative affective states such as anxiety, depression and stress are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly in cardiac and post-cardiac rehabilitation populations.Yoga is a balanced practice of physical exercise, breathing control and meditation that can reduce psychosocial symptoms as well as improve cardiovascular and cognitive function. It has the potential to positively affect multiple disease pathways and may prove to be a practical adjunct to cardiac rehabilitation in further reducing cardiac risk factors as well as improving self-efficacy and post-cardiac rehabilitation adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviours. This is a parallel arm, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial that will assess the outcomes of post- phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation patients assigned to a yoga intervention in comparison to a no-treatment wait-list control group. Participants randomised to the yoga group will engage in a 12 week yoga program comprising of two group based sessions and one self-administered home session each week. Group based sessions will be led by an experienced yoga instructor. This will involve teaching beginner students a hatha yoga sequence that incorporates asana (poses and postures), pranayama (breathing control) and meditation. The primary outcomes of this study are negative affective states of anxiety, depression and stress assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Secondary outcomes include measures of quality of life, and cardiovascular and cognitive function. The cardiovascular outcomes will include blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, pulse wave velocity, carotid intima media thickness measurements, lipid/glucose profiles and C-reactive protein assays. Assessments will be conducted prior to (week 0), mid-way through (week 6) and following the intervention period (week 12) as well as at a four week follow-up (week 16). This study will determine the effect of yoga practice on negative affective states, cardiovascular and cognitive function in post-phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation patients. The findings may provide evidence to incorporate yoga into standardised cardiac rehabilitation programs as a practical adjunct to improve the management of psychosocial symptoms associated with cardiovascular events in addition to improving patients' cognitive and cardiovascular functions. ACTRN12612000358842.

Left ventricular hypertrophy as protective factor after bypass grafting.

PubMed

Iannuzzi, Gian Luca; Maniscalco, Mauro; Elia, Andrea; Scognamiglio, Anna; Furgi, Giuseppe; Rengo, Franco

2018-05-01

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a well established cardiovascular risk factor, accounting for an increase in cardiovascular morbid-mortality, although how much the magnitude and the kind of LVH could affect cardiovascular outcomes is in large part unknown. We speculate that mild LVH in absence of left ventricular (LV) chamber dilation, could play a protective role towards functional capacity, clinical outcome, cardiovascular and total morbi-mortality in conditions in which LV systolic function is generally reduced. Accordingly to many epidemiological observations, the availability of extra-quote of systolic function could lead to a significative improvement in the final outcome of some kinds of heart patients, as those undergoing bypass-grafting, where the stress for heart and cardiovascular system is always high. We suppose that the functional reserve available for patients with LVH could make the difference with respect to other patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. Similarly, the availability of a contractile reserve warranted by LVH could ensure a little gain in the outcome for patients after other major cardiovascular events (such as myocardial infarction or other heart surgery as surgical valve replacement). However, our hypothesis only involves mild LVH without LV chamber dilation, that is the initial stage of "non-dilated concentric" LVH and "non-dilated eccentric" LVH according to the new four-tiered classification of LVH based on relative wall thickness and LV dilation. Support for our hypothesis derives from the well-known protective role of systolic function that is a major factor in almost all cardiovascular diseases, where LV ejection fraction (LVEF) has shown to significantly improve quality of life, as well as morbidity and mortality. The knowledge that mild LVH in absence of LV chamber dilation is not as harmful in such conditions as believed at present could make avoidable some drugs prescription in some stages of the disease. Furthermore, it may allow a better evaluation of the risk profile of patients with LVH undergoing some cardiovascular major events like bypass grafting, myocardial infarction or surgical heart valve replacement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antiorthostatic test as a model to study antigravity mechanisms of the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Yarullin, K K; Vasilyeva, T D; Alekseev, D A

1976-01-01

The paper presents rheographic investigations of regional haemodynamics (brain, lungs, liver and limbs) during antiorthostatic exposures of varying intensity (-15, -30, -45 degrees, times of exposure 20, 40 and 60 min). Our findings show that the pattern and time of the function of compensatory mechanisms preventing excessive vascular compliance [correction of complicance] under the influence of the hydrostatic blood column depend on the value and length of antiorthostasis, because prolonged venous congestion results not only in congestive circulatory hypoxia but also in arterial hypoxia due to compensatory limitation of arterial inflow.

Depressive disorders and the menopause transition.

PubMed

Llaneza, Plácido; García-Portilla, María P; Llaneza-Suárez, David; Armott, Begoña; Pérez-López, Faustino R

2012-02-01

Depressive disorders and symptoms are common among middle-aged women. The effects of hormones on depression remain unclear. This review aims to clarify the nature of depressive disorders during the menopause transition as well as their links with climacteric syndrome, sexuality, cardiovascular risk and cognitive function. The recent literature on depressive disorders and menopause is reviewed. Women are more vulnerable than men to depressive disorders. Endocrine influences have been postulated but differences in, for example, coping style and response to stress may also contribute to the gender difference in the prevalence of depressive disorders. Gender differences in socialization may lead to higher rates of depression in women. There are data top suggest that menopause and depression are associated, although there is not a common clear causative factor. Women with climacteric symptoms (hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and dyspareunia) are more likely to report anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Bothersome vasomotor symptoms could be associated with sleep disturbances, which in turn can increase reports of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Biopsychosocial and partner factors have a significant influence on middle-aged women's sexuality and depressive disorders, and most antidepressants can have a negative effect on sexual response. Lastly, studies have consistently shown that women with high levels of depressive symptoms are at greater cardiovascular risk and have poorer cognitive function than non-depressed women. At present, a direct relationship between psychiatric symptoms and hormonal changes such as estrogen decrease has not been clearly found. Stress, educational level, ethnicity, socioeconomic factors and partner status may influence the prevalence and clinical course of both menopause symptoms and depressive disorders. Since in many cases depression is a lifelong condition, and is associated with severe comorbid conditions, further studies are needed to improve the early diagnosis of depression; it may be advisable to monitor a woman's mental health during the menopause transition to prevent a depressive disorder having long-term negative consequences. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of the human microbiome and probiotics on cardiovascular health

PubMed Central

Ettinger, Grace; MacDonald, Kyle; Reid, Gregor; Burton, Jeremy P

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death worldwide. Of the many etiological factors, microorganisms constitute one. From the local impact of the gut microbiota on energy metabolism and obesity, to the distal association of periodontal disease with coronary heart disease, microbes have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. In terms of the ability to modulate or influence the microbes, probiotic applications have been considered. These are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a benefit on the host. While a number of reports have established the beneficial abilities of certain probiotic bacterial strains to reduce cholesterol and hypertension, recent research suggests that their use could be more widely applied. This review presents an up-to-date summary of the known associations of the microbiome with CVD, and potential applications of probiotic therapy. PMID:25529048

The influence of the human microbiome and probiotics on cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Ettinger, Grace; MacDonald, Kyle; Reid, Gregor; Burton, Jeremy P

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death worldwide. Of the many etiological factors, microorganisms constitute one. From the local impact of the gut microbiota on energy metabolism and obesity, to the distal association of periodontal disease with coronary heart disease, microbes have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. In terms of the ability to modulate or influence the microbes, probiotic applications have been considered. These are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a benefit on the host. While a number of reports have established the beneficial abilities of certain probiotic bacterial strains to reduce cholesterol and hypertension, recent research suggests that their use could be more widely applied. This review presents an up-to-date summary of the known associations of the microbiome with CVD, and potential applications of probiotic therapy.

Applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Giannopoulos, Andreas A; Mitsouras, Dimitris; Yoo, Shi-Joon; Liu, Peter P; Chatzizisis, Yiannis S; Rybicki, Frank J

2016-12-01

3D-printed models fabricated from CT, MRI, or echocardiography data provide the advantage of haptic feedback, direct manipulation, and enhanced understanding of cardiovascular anatomy and underlying pathologies. Reported applications of cardiovascular 3D printing span from diagnostic assistance and optimization of management algorithms in complex cardiovascular diseases, to planning and simulating surgical and interventional procedures. The technology has been used in practically the entire range of structural, valvular, and congenital heart diseases, and the added-value of 3D printing is established. Patient-specific implants and custom-made devices can be designed, produced, and tested, thus opening new horizons in personalized patient care and cardiovascular research. Physicians and trainees can better elucidate anatomical abnormalities with the use of 3D-printed models, and communication with patients is markedly improved. Cardiovascular 3D bioprinting and molecular 3D printing, although currently not translated into clinical practice, hold revolutionary potential. 3D printing is expected to have a broad influence in cardiovascular care, and will prove pivotal for the future generation of cardiovascular imagers and care providers. In this Review, we summarize the cardiovascular 3D printing workflow, from image acquisition to the generation of a hand-held model, and discuss the cardiovascular applications and the current status and future perspectives of cardiovascular 3D printing.

Tissue engineering therapy for cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Nugent, Helen M; Edelman, Elazer R

2003-05-30

The present treatments for the loss or failure of cardiovascular function include organ transplantation, surgical reconstruction, mechanical or synthetic devices, or the administration of metabolic products. Although routinely used, these treatments are not without constraints and complications. The emerging and interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering has evolved to provide solutions to tissue creation and repair. Tissue engineering applies the principles of engineering, material science, and biology toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. Progress has been made in engineering the various components of the cardiovascular system, including blood vessels, heart valves, and cardiac muscle. Many pivotal studies have been performed in recent years that may support the move toward the widespread application of tissue-engineered therapy for cardiovascular diseases. The studies discussed include endothelial cell seeding of vascular grafts, tissue-engineered vascular conduits, generation of heart valve leaflets, cardiomyoplasty, genetic manipulation, and in vitro conditions for optimizing tissue-engineered cardiovascular constructs.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition: a new therapeutic mechanism for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

PubMed

Bergeron, Nathalie; Phan, Binh An P; Ding, Yunchen; Fong, Aleyna; Krauss, Ronald M

2015-10-27

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) plays an important role in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis. By binding to hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors and promoting their lysosomal degradation, PCSK9 reduces LDL uptake, leading to an increase in LDL cholesterol concentrations. Gain-of-function mutations in PCSK9 associated with high LDL cholesterol and premature cardiovascular disease have been causally implicated in the pathophysiology of autosomal-dominant familial hypercholesterolemia. In contrast, the more commonly expressed loss-of-function mutations in PCSK9 are associated with reduced LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. The development of therapeutic approaches that inhibit PCSK9 function has therefore attracted considerable attention from clinicians and the pharmaceutical industry for the management of hypercholesterolemia and its associated cardiovascular disease risk. This review summarizes the effects of PCSK9 on hepatic and intestinal lipid metabolism and the more recently explored functions of PCSK9 in extrahepatic tissues. Therapeutic approaches that prevent interaction of PCSK9 with hepatic LDL receptors (monoclonal antibodies, mimetic peptides), inhibit PCSK9 synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (antisense oligonucleotides, siRNAs), and interfere with PCSK9 function (small molecules) are also described. Finally, clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of monoclonal antibodies to PCSK9 are reviewed. These have shown dose-dependent decreases in LDL cholesterol (44%-65%), apolipoprotein B (48%-59%), and lipoprotein(a) (27%-50%) without major adverse effects in various high-risk patient categories, including those with statin intolerance. Initial reports from 2 of these trials have indicated the expected reduction in cardiovascular events. Hence, inhibition of PCSK9 holds considerable promise as a therapeutic option for decreasing cardiovascular disease risk. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

NO Signaling in the Cardiovascular System and Exercise.

PubMed

Fernandes, Tiago; Gomes-Gatto, Camila V; Pereira, Noemy P; Alayafi, Yahya R; das Neves, Vander J; Oliveira, Edilamar M

2017-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small molecule implicated in multiple signal transduction pathways thus contributing to the regulation of many cellular functions. The identification of NO synthase (NOS) isoforms and the subsequent characterization of the mechanisms of cell activation of the enzymes permitted the partial understanding of both the physiological and pathological processes. NO bioavailability plays an important role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease and its reduction in endothelial cells is strictly associated to endothelial dysfunction which, in turn, correlates with cardiovascular mortality. Indeed, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) has a key role in limiting cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in heart diseases, in part by decreasing myocyte hypertrophy. Conversely, exercise training is recommended to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases-associated disorders at least by enhanced NO synthase activity and expression, and increased production of antioxidants, which prevents premature breakdown of NO. Exercise training may cause an improvement in endothelial function for both experimental animals and humans; Studies in both healthy subjects and patients with impaired NO-related vasorelaxation remarked exercise training ability to improve vascular structure and function and endothelial homeostasis. This chapter will briefly consider the importance of NO signaling in the maintenance of cardiovascular physiology, and discuss recent insights into the effect of exercise training on the signaling pathways that modulate NO synthesis and degradation in health and cardiovascular disease. In addition, we will highlight the molecular mechanisms via which microRNAs (miRs) target NO signaling in the cardiovascular system, and NO as a candidate molecule for development of new therapies.

75 FR 1395 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0664] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

77 FR 12062 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... of Committee: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee...

78 FR 36787 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

75 FR 35496 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

77 FR 43093 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

76 FR 39404 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

75 FR 30839 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

75 FR 52762 - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS...: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and...

Sodium and Its Role in Cardiovascular Disease – The Debate Continues

PubMed Central

Kong, Yee Wen; Baqar, Sara; Jerums, George; Ekinci, Elif I.

2016-01-01

Guidelines have recommended significant reductions in dietary sodium intake to improve cardiovascular health. However, these dietary sodium intake recommendations have been questioned as emerging evidence has shown that there is a higher risk of cardiovascular disease with a low sodium diet, including in individuals with type 2 diabetes. This may be related to the other pleotropic effects of dietary sodium intake. Therefore, despite recent review of dietary sodium intake guidelines by multiple organizations, including the dietary guidelines for Americans, American Diabetes Association, and American Heart Association, concerns about the impact of the degree of sodium restriction on cardiovascular health continue to be raised. This literature review examines the effects of dietary sodium intake on factors contributing to cardiovascular health, including left ventricular hypertrophy, heart rate, albuminuria, rennin–angiotensin–aldosterone system activation, serum lipids, insulin sensitivity, sympathetic nervous system activation, endothelial function, and immune function. In the last part of this review, the association between dietary sodium intake and cardiovascular outcomes, especially in individuals with diabetes, is explored. Given the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes and the increasing incidence of diabetes worldwide, this review is important in summarizing the recent evidence regarding the effects of dietary sodium intake on cardiovascular health, especially in this population. PMID:28066329

[Effects of distance between residence and hemodialysis unit on cardiovascular complications and treatments of maintenance hemodialysis patients].

PubMed

Yuan, Jing; Zha, Yan; Yang, Xia; He, Shan; Xie, Ying; Huang, Rong-sai; Xiong, Hong-yan; Sun, Zhao-lin

2013-06-11

To explore the effects of etiological classification and the distance between residence and hemodialysis unit on cardiovascular complications and treatments in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. A total of 756 MHD patients were collected from 12 hemodialysis centers of Guiyang, China between January 2011 and May 2012. Their distribution characteristics and correlations were based on medical records. And statistical analyses were performed. The ratio of males and females was 1.45: 1. And their mean age was (49.1 ± 14.7) years old. And 496 (65.6%) cases suffered from cardiovascular complications. The analysis of multi-factor Logistic regression revealed that distance between residence and dialysis unit was an independent risk factor of cardiovascular complications. The group of the farthest distance ( > 30 km) had the worst influence on dialysis adequacy Kt/V score, urea clearance rate, dialysis frequency and time per week. And the levels of blood phosphorus, triglyceride and cholesterol in the fourth group had marked elevations. It had a significant positive correlation with distance (P < 0.05). The distance between residence and dialysis unit is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular complications in MHD patients. The farthest distance ( > 30 km) has the greatest influence on dialysis adequacy.

Defining the Path Between Social and Economic Factors, Clinical and Lifestyle Determinants, and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Kastorini, Christina-Maria; Milionis, Haralampos J; Georgousopoulou, Ekavi; Kalantzi, Kallirroi; Nikolaou, Vassilios; Vemmos, Konstantinos N; Goudevenos, John A; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B

2015-12-01

Low socioeconomic status is associated with poorer cardiovascular health. The aim of the present work was to evaluate how social and economic factors influence modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors and thus, acute coronary syndrome or ischemic stroke presence. One thousand participants were enrolled; 250 consecutive patients with a first acute coronary syndrome (83% were male, 60 ± 12 years old) and 250 control subjects, as well as 250 consecutive patients with a first ischemic stroke (56% were male, 77 ± 9 years old) and 250 control subjects. The control subjects were population-based and age-sex matched with the patients. Detailed information regarding their medical records, lifestyle characteristics, education level, financial status satisfaction, and type of occupation were recorded. After controlling for potential confounding factors, significant inverse associations were observed regarding financial status satisfaction and sedentary/mental type occupation with acute coronary syndrome or stroke presence, but not with the educational level. Nevertheless, further evaluation using path analysis, revealed quite different results, indicating that the education level influenced the type of occupation and financial satisfaction, hence affecting indirectly the likelihood of developing a cardiovascular disease event. Social and economic parameters interact with modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors through multiple pathways. Copyright © 2015 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes With Canagliflozin According to Baseline Kidney Function: Data from the CANVAS Program.

PubMed

Neuen, Brendon L; Ohkuma, Toshiaki; Neal, Bruce; Matthews, David R; de Zeeuw, Dick; Mahaffey, Kenneth W; Fulcher, Greg; Desai, Mehul; Li, Qiang; Deng, Hsiaowei; Rosenthal, Norm; Jardine, Meg J; Bakris, George; Perkovic, Vlado

2018-06-25

Background : Canagliflozin is approved for glucose lowering in type 2 diabetes and confers cardiovascular and renal benefits. We sought to assess whether it had benefits in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 30 and 45 mL/min/1.73 m 2 in whom the drug is not currently approved for use. Methods : The CANagliflozin cardioVascular Assessment Study Program (CANVAS) randomized 10,142 participants with type 2 diabetes and eGFR greater than 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 to canagliflozin or placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, with other cardiovascular, renal, and safety outcomes. This secondary analysis describes outcomes in participants with and without CKD, defined as eGFR <60 and ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , and according to baseline kidney function (eGFR <45, 45-<60, 60-<90, and ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). Results : At baseline, 2039 (20.1%) participants had an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , of whom 71.6% had a history of cardiovascular disease. The effect of canagliflozin on the primary outcome was similar in people with CKD (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55-0.90) and those with preserved kidney function (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.79-1.07, P heterogeneity = 0.08). Relative effects on most cardiovascular and renal outcomes were similar across eGFR subgroups, with possible heterogeneity suggested only for the outcome of fatal/nonfatal stroke ( P heterogeneity = 0.01), as were results for almost all safety outcomes. Conclusions : The effect of canagliflozin on cardiovascular and renal outcomes was not modified by baseline level of kidney function in people with type 2 diabetes and a history or high risk of cardiovascular disease down to eGFR levels of 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 Reassessing current limitations on the use of canagliflozin in CKD may allow additional individuals to benefit from this therapy. Clinical Trial Registration : URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01032629, NCT01989754.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Risk Factors of Persons with Mental Retardation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draheim, Christopher C.

2006-01-01

This paper reviews the recent literature on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence, CVD-related mortality, physiological CVD risk factors, and behavioral CVD risk factors in adults with mental retardation (MR). The literature on the potential influences of modifiable behavioral CVD risk factors and the physiological CVD risk factors are also…

Adult males with haemophilia have a different macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function profile compared with healthy controls.

PubMed

Sun, H; Yang, M; Fung, M; Chan, S; Jawi, M; Anderson, T; Poon, M-C; Jackson, S

2017-09-01

Endothelial function has been identified as an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk in the general population. It is unclear if the haemophilia population has a different endothelial function profile compared to the healthy population. This prospective study aims to assess if there is a difference in endothelial function between haemophilia patients and healthy controls, and the impact of endothelial function on vascular outcomes in the haemophilia population. Baseline cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial function were presented. Adult males with haemophilia A or B recruited from the British Columbia and Southern Alberta haemophilia treatment centres were matched to healthy male controls by age and cardiovascular risk factors. Macrovascular endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD), and microvascular endothelial function was assessed by hyperaemic velocity time integral (VTI). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between haemophilia and endothelial function. A total of 81 patients with haemophilia and 243 controls were included. Patients with haemophilia had a similar FMD and NMD compared to controls, although haemophilia was associated with higher FMD on multivariable analysis. Haemophilia was associated with significantly lower VTI on univariate and multivariable analyses, regardless of haemophilia type and severity. Adult males with haemophilia appear to have lower microvascular endothelial function compared to healthy controls. Future studies to assess the impact of endothelial dysfunction on cardiovascular events in the haemophilia population are needed. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Aspirin in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Ittaman, Sunitha V.; VanWormer, Jeffrey J.; Rezkalla, Shereif H.

2014-01-01

Aspirin therapy is well-accepted as an agent for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and current guidelines also define a role for aspirin in primary prevention. In this review, we describe the seminal trials of aspirin use in the context of current guidelines, discuss factors that may influence the effectiveness of aspirin therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention, and briefly examine patterns of use. The body of evidence supports a role for aspirin in both secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular events in selected population groups, but practice patterns may be suboptimal. As a simple and inexpensive prophylactic measure for cardiovascular disease, aspirin use should be carefully considered in all at-risk adult patients, and further measures, including patient education, are necessary to ensure its proper use. PMID:24573704

Mitochondrial Ubiquitin Ligase in Cardiovascular Disorders.

PubMed

Yu, Tao; Zhang, Yinfeng; Li, Pei-Feng

2017-01-01

Mitochondrial dynamics play a critical role in cellular responses and physiological process. However, their dysregulation leads to a functional degradation, which results in a diverse array of common disorders, including cardiovascular disease. In this background, the mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase has been attracting substantial research interest in recent years. Mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase is localized in the mitochondrial outer membrane, where it plays an essential role in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and apoptosis. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of the functions of mitochondrial ubiquitin ligases identified hitherto, with a special focus on cardiovascular disorders.

Gut microbiota derived metabolites in cardiovascular health and disease.

PubMed

Wang, Zeneng; Zhao, Yongzhong

2018-05-03

Trillions of microbes inhabit the human gut, not only providing nutrients and energy to the host from the ingested food, but also producing metabolic bioactive signaling molecules to maintain health and elicit disease, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. In this review, we presented gut microbiota derived metabolites involved in cardiovascular health and disease, including trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), uremic toxins, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), phytoestrogens, anthocyanins, bile acids and lipopolysaccharide. These gut microbiota derived metabolites play critical roles in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular function, and if dysregulated, potentially causally linked to CVD. A better understanding of the function and dynamics of gut microbiota derived metabolites holds great promise toward mechanistic predicative CVD biomarker discoveries and precise interventions.

[Dark or white chocolate? Cocoa and cardiovascular health].

PubMed

Corti, Roberto; Perdrix, Jean; Flammer, Andreas J; Noll, Georg

2010-03-10

Epidemiological data show that a regular dietary intake of plant-derived foods reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent research indeed demonstrates interesting data about cocoa consumption, with high concentrations of polyphenols, and beneficial effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance and platelet function. Although still debated, a range of potential mechanisms through which cocoa might exert their benefits on cardiovascular health have been suggested: activation of nitric oxide, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet effects, which might in turn improve endothelial function, lipid levels, blood pressure and insulin resistance. This article reviews available data about the effects of the consumption of cocoa and different types of chocolate on cardiovascular health, and outlines potential mechanisms involved on the basis of recent studies.

Thrombospondins: old players, new games.

PubMed

Stenina-Adognravi, Olga

2013-10-01

Thrombospondins (TSPs) are secreted extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins from TSP family, which consists of five homologous members. They share a complex domain structure and have numerous binding partners in ECM and multiple cell surface receptors. Information that has emerged over the past decade identifies TSPs as important mediators of cellular homeostasis, assigning new important roles in cardiovascular pathology to these proteins. Recent studies of the functions of TSP in the cardiovascular system, diabetes and aging, which placed several TSPs in a position of critical regulators, demonstrated the involvement of these proteins in practically every aspect of cardiovascular pathophysiology related to atherosclerosis: inflammation, immunity, leukocyte recruitment and function, function of vascular cells, angiogenesis, and responses to hypoxia, ischemia and hyperglycemia. TSPs are also critically important in the development and ultimate outcome of the complications associated with atherosclerosis--myocardial infarction, and heart hypertrophy and failure. Their expression and significance increase with age and with the progression of diabetes, two major contributors to the development of atherosclerosis and its complications. This overview of recent literature examines the latest information on the newfound functions of TSPs that emphasize the importance of ECM in cardiovascular homeostasis and pathology. The functions of TSPs in myocardium, vasculature, vascular complications of diabetes, aging and immunity are discussed.

[Johann Sebastian Bach: life, oeuvre and his significance for the cardiology].

PubMed

Trappe, H-J

2014-12-01

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on 1685 in Eisenach. By the time he turned 10, Bach found himself an orphan after the death of both of his parents. After working in Weimar, Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, and Köthen Bach signed a contract to become the new organist and teacher at St. Thomas Church Leipzig in 1723 and stayed there until his death. In 1749, Bach tried to fix his failing sight by having surgery the following year, but the operation ended up leaving him completely blind. Few months later, Bach suffered a stroke. He died in Leipzig on July 28, 1750. In recent years, there were some questions whether music of different styles can directly alter cardiovascular parameters, particularly by using Bach's music. In some studies it has been shown that cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, heart rate) are influenced by music. Listening to classic music (Bach) leads to positive erffects, also music by Italian composters. In contrast, "modern" music, vocal music or songs had no positive effects on cardiovascular parameters. In addition, positive effects on cardiovascular parameters and behavioural patters have been shown in an animal study recently, by Bach's music. Recent studies showed clearly that music influences cardiovascular parameters. It is obvious that classical music (Bach) has benefitial effects, both in humans and in animals. Therefore, the music of the "Thomaskantor" will improve both, quality of life and cardiovascular health. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Drinking carrot juice increases total antioxidant status and decreases lipid peroxidation in adults.

PubMed

Potter, Andrew S; Foroudi, Shahrzad; Stamatikos, Alexis; Patil, Bhimanagouda S; Deyhim, Farzad

2011-09-24

High prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular disease is attributable to sedentary lifestyle and eating diets high in fat and refined carbohydrate while eating diets low in fruit and vegetables. Epidemiological studies have confirmed a strong association between eating diets rich in fruits and vegetables and cardiovascular health. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether drinking fresh carrot juice influences antioxidant status and cardiovascular risk markers in subjects not modifying their eating habits. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of consuming 16 fl oz of daily freshly squeezed carrot juice for three months on cardiovascular risk markers, C-reactive protein, insulin, leptin, interleukin-1α, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, antioxidant status, and malondialdehyde production. Fasting blood samples were collected pre-test and 90 days afterward to conclude the study. Drinking carrot juice did not affect (P > 0.1) the plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo A, Apo B, LDL, HDL, body fat percentage, insulin, leptin, interleukin-1α, or C-reactive protein. Drinking carrot juice decreased (P = 0.06) systolic pressure, but did not influence diastolic pressure. Drinking carrot juice significantly (P < 0.05) increased the plasma total antioxidant capacity and decreased (P < 0.05) the plasma malondialdehyde production. Drinking carrot juice may protect the cardiovascular system by increasing total antioxidant status and by decreasing lipid peroxidation independent of any of the cardiovascular risk markers measured in the study.

Cardio-respiratory function during exercise in the cobia, Rachycentron canadum: The impact of crude oil exposure.

PubMed

Nelson, Derek; Stieglitz, John D; Cox, Georgina K; Heuer, Rachael M; Benetti, Daniel D; Grosell, Martin; Crossley, Dane A

2017-10-01

Aerobic exercise capacity is dependent on the cardiorespiratory system's ability to supply oxygen at a rate that meets energetic demands. In teleost fish crude oil exposure, with the associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), reduces exercise performance and this has been hypothesized to be due to compromised cardiovascular function. In this study, we test this hypothesis by simultaneously measuring cardiovascular performance, oxygen consumption, and swim performance in a pelagic teleost, the cobia (Rachycentron canadum). Metabolic rate increased over 300% in both groups during the swim trial but as the fish approached the critical swim speed (U crit ) MO 2 was 12% lower in the oil exposed fish. Further, stroke volume was initially 35% lower while heart rate was 15% higher in the oil exposed compared to control fish. Our findings suggested, while aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic function are altered by oil exposure, additional studies are needed to further understand the homeostatic mechanisms that may sustain cardiovascular function at higher exercise intensities in cobia. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relation between central adiposity and cognitive function in the Maine-Syracuse Study: attenuation by physical activity.

PubMed

Dore, Gregory A; Elias, Merrill F; Robbins, Michael A; Budge, Marc M; Elias, Penelope K

2008-06-01

Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between central adiposity and cognitive function. However, only some of these studies have adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease, and none have also adjusted for physical activity level. The purpose of the study was to examine the association between anthropometric measures of central adiposity (waist circumference and waist/hip ratio) and cognitive functioning with adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors and physical activity. Participants were 917 stroke- and dementia-free community-dwelling adults (59% women) in the Maine-Syracuse Study. The design was cross-sectional. Outcome measures included tests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Waist circumference and waist/hip ratio were inversely related to multiple cognitive domains with adjustment for age, education, gender, and number of prior exams. For example, a 20-cm increment in waist circumference was associated with a 0.14 SD decrement in the Global Composite score. These relations were attenuated with adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors. However, with further adjustment for physical activity level, only waist circumference remained significantly associated with performance on the Similarities test. Waist circumference and waist/hip ratio are inversely related to cognitive function. Measures of central adiposity predict cognitive function independently of associated cardiovascular risk factors and events; however, the association between central adiposity and cognitive function is attenuated, to a large extent, by adjustment for physical activity level. Physical activity is an important covariate in studies relating measures of central adiposity to cognition.

Treatment of Men for “Low Testosterone”: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Huo, Samantha; Scialli, Anthony R.; McGarvey, Sean; Hill, Elizabeth; Tügertimur, Buğra; Hogenmiller, Alycia; Hirsch, Alessandra I.; Fugh-Berman, Adriane

2016-01-01

Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of “low testosterone” (low-T) for cardiovascular health, sexual function, muscle weakness or wasting, mood and behavior, and cognition. We performed a systematic review of 156 eligible randomized controlled trials in which testosterone was compared to placebo for one or more of these conditions. We included studies in bibliographic databases between January 1, 1950 and April 9, 2016, and excluded studies involving bodybuilding, contraceptive effectiveness, or treatment of any condition in women or children. Studies with multiple relevant endpoints were included in all relevant tables. Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk, sexual function, mood and behavior, or cognition. Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo. Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido. Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function. Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality, psychological well-being, or mood. The prescription of testosterone supplementation for low-T for cardiovascular health, sexual function, physical function, mood, or cognitive function is without support from randomized clinical trials. PMID:27655114

Functional Food and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment: A Review.

PubMed

Asgary, Sedigheh; Rastqar, Ali; Keshvari, Mahtab

2018-03-12

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now the leading cause of death globally and is a growing health concern. Lifestyle factors, including nutrition, play an important role in the etiology and treatment of CVD. Functional foods based on their basic nutritional functions can decrease the risk of many chronic diseases and have some physiological benefits. They contain physiologically active components either from plant or animal sources, marketed with the claim of their ability to reduce heart disease risk, focusing primarily on established risk factors, which are hyperlipidemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity/overweight, elevated lipoprotein A level, small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and elevated inflammatory marker levels. Functional foods are suspected to exert their cardioprotective effects mainly through blood lipid profile level and improve hypertension control, endothelial function, platelet aggregation, and antioxidant actions. Clinical and epidemiological observations indicate that vegetable and fruit fiber, nuts and seeds, sea foods, coffee, tea, and dark chocolate have cardioprotective potential in humans, as well whole-grain products containing intact grain kernels rich in fiber and trace nutrients. They are nutritionally more important because they contain phytoprotective substances that might work synergistically to reduce cardiovascular risk. This review will focus on the reciprocal interaction between functional foods and the potential link to cardiovascular health and the possible mechanisms of action.

Social integration, social contacts, and blood pressure dipping in African-Americans and whites.

PubMed

Troxel, Wendy M; Buysse, Daniel J; Hall, Martica; Kamarck, Thomas W; Strollo, Patrick J; Owens, Jane F; Reis, Steven E; Matthews, Karen A

2010-02-01

Both the size and diversity of an individual's social network are strongly and prospectively linked with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Social relationships may influence cardiovascular outcomes, at least in part, via their impact on physiologic pathways influenced by stress, such as daytime blood pressure (BP) levels. However, scant research has examined whether social relationships influence key nocturnal pathways, such as nocturnal BP dipping. The current study examined the degree to which social integration, as measured by participants' reported engagement in a range of different types of social relationships, and the frequency of daily social contacts influence the ratio of night/day mean arterial pressure (MAP) in a community sample of African-American and white men and women (N = 224). In addition, we examined the degree to which observed associations persisted after statistical adjustment for factors known to covary with nocturnal BP, including objective measures of sleep, catecholamines, health behaviors, and comorbidities. In fully adjusted models, there was a significant association between both social integration and frequency of social contacts and the ratio of night/day MAP, indicating that socially isolated individuals were more likely to have blunted nocturnal BP-dipping profiles. There was also a significant interaction between social contact frequency and ethnicity, suggesting that the benefits of social relationships were particularly evident in African-Americans. These findings contribute to our understanding of how social integration or conversely, social isolation, influences cardiovascular risk.

Benefits of Nut Consumption on Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Multiple Potential Mechanisms of Actions

PubMed Central

Kim, Yoona; Keogh, Jennifer B.

2017-01-01

Epidemiological and clinical studies have indicated that nut consumption could be a healthy dietary strategy to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and related cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this review is to examine the potential mechanisms of action of nuts addressing effects on glycemic control, weight management, energy balance, appetite, gut microbiota modification, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial function and blood pressure with a focus on data from both animal and human studies. The favourable effects of nuts could be explained by the unique nutrient composition and bioactive compounds in nuts. Unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids) present in nuts may play a role in glucose control and appetite suppression. Fiber and polyphenols in nuts may also have an anti-diabetic effect by altering gut microbiota. Nuts lower serum cholesterol by reduced cholesterol absorption, inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase and increased bile acid production by stimulation of 7-α hydroxylase. Arginine and magnesium improve inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial function and blood pressure. In conclusion, nuts contain compounds that favourably influence glucose homeostasis, weight control and vascular health. Further investigations are required to identify the most important mechanisms by which nuts decrease the risk of T2DM and CVD. PMID:29165404

Orthostatic intolerance and motion sickness after parabolic flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, T. T.; Brown, T. E.; Wood, S. J.; Benavides, E. W.; Bondar, R. L.; Stein, F.; Moradshahi, P.; Harm, D. L.; Fritsch-Yelle, J. M.; Low, P. A.

2001-01-01

Because it is not clear that the induction of orthostatic intolerance in returning astronauts always requires prolonged exposure to microgravity, we investigated orthostatic tolerance and autonomic cardiovascular function in 16 healthy subjects before and after the brief micro- and hypergravity of parabolic flight. Concomitantly, we investigated the effect of parabolic flight-induced vomiting on orthostatic tolerance, R-wave-R-wave interval and arterial pressure power spectra, and carotid-cardiac baroreflex and Valsalva responses. After parabolic flight 1) 8 of 16 subjects could not tolerate 30 min of upright tilt (compared to 2 of 16 before flight); 2) 6 of 16 subjects vomited; 3) new intolerance to upright tilt was associated with exaggerated falls in total peripheral resistance, whereas vomiting was associated with increased R-wave-R-wave interval variability and carotid-cardiac baroreflex responsiveness; and 4) the proximate mode of new orthostatic failure differed in subjects who did and did not vomit, with vomiters experiencing comparatively isolated upright hypocapnia and cerebral vasoconstriction and nonvomiters experiencing signs and symptoms reminiscent of the clinical postural tachycardia syndrome. Results suggest, first, that syndromes of orthostatic intolerance resembling those developing after space flight can develop after a brief (i.e., 2-h) parabolic flight and, second, that recent vomiting can influence the results of tests of autonomic cardiovascular function commonly utilized in returning astronauts.

Klinefelter syndrome, cardiovascular system, and thromboembolic disease: review of literature and clinical perspectives.

PubMed

Salzano, Andrea; Arcopinto, Michele; Marra, Alberto M; Bobbio, Emanuele; Esposito, Daniela; Accardo, Giacomo; Giallauria, Francesco; Bossone, Eduardo; Vigorito, Carlo; Lenzi, Andrea; Pasquali, Daniela; Isidori, Andrea M; Cittadini, Antonio

2016-07-01

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most frequently occurring sex chromosomal aberration in males, with an incidence of about 1 in 500-700 newborns. Data acquired from large registry-based studies revealed an increase in mortality rates among KS patients when compared with mortality rates among the general population. Among all causes of death, metabolic, cardiovascular, and hemostatic complication seem to play a pivotal role. KS is associated, as are other chromosomal pathologies and genetic diseases, with cardiac congenital anomalies that contribute to the increase in mortality. The aim of the current study was to systematically review the relationships between KS and the cardiovascular system and hemostatic balance. In summary, patients with KS display an increased cardiovascular risk profile, characterized by increased prevalence of metabolic abnormalities including Diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and alterations in biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. KS does not, however, appear to be associated with arterial hypertension. Moreover, KS patients are characterized by subclinical abnormalities in left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function and endothelial function, which, when associated with chronotropic incompetence may led to reduced cardiopulmonary performance. KS patients appear to be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, attributing to an increased risk of thromboembolic events with a high prevalence of recurrent venous ulcers, venous insufficiency, recurrent venous and arterial thromboembolism with higher risk of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. It appears that cardiovascular involvement in KS is mainly due to chromosomal abnormalities rather than solely on low serum testosterone levels. On the basis of evidence acquisition and authors' own experience, a flowchart addressing the management of cardiovascular function and prognosis of KS patients has been developed for clinical use. © 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.

Is the association between flow-mediated dilation and cardiovascular risk limited to low-risk populations?

PubMed

Witte, Daniel R; Westerink, Jan; de Koning, Eelco J; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Grobbee, Diederick E; Bots, Michiel L

2005-06-21

The aim of this research was to study whether the relation between endothelial function measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery and cardiovascular risk factors is affected by the baseline cardiovascular risk. Flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery is widely used as a measure of endothelial function. Relations between FMD and most cardiovascular risk factors have been described. We performed a meta-regression analysis of 211 selected articles (399 populations) reporting on FMD and cardiovascular risk factors. Mean values of FMD; age; proportion of men; proportion of smokers; blood pressure; lipids; glucose; and the presence of diabetes mellitus, of hyperlipidemia, and of hypertension were retrieved from the articles. The 10-year risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) for each population was estimated based on the Framingham risk score. The relation between FMD and cardiovascular risk factors was assessed within each risk category by linear regression analysis, adjusting for age and gender, and weighted for the study size. A relation between FMD and cardiovascular risk factors was most clear in the category with lowest baseline risk (below 2.8% per decade). In populations with low baseline risk, for each % increase in Framingham risk, FMD decreased by 1.42% (95% confidence interval: 0.65 to 2.19). In medium- and high-risk populations, FMD was not related to risk (-0.02% [-0.27 to 0.22] and 0.06% [-0.02 to 0.13], respectively). These findings were independent of differences in brachial lumen diameter and technical aspects of the FMD measurement. Only in populations at low risk, endothelial function measured by FMD is related to the principal cardiovascular risk factors, and to the estimated 10-year risk of CHD.

Regulation of sympathetic nervous system function after cardiovascular deconditioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasser, E. M.; Moffitt, J. A.

2001-01-01

Humans subjected to prolonged periods of bed rest or microgravity undergo deconditioning of the cardiovascular system, characterized by resting tachycardia, reduced exercise capability, and a predisposition for orthostatic intolerance. These changes in cardiovascular function are likely due to a combination of factors, including changes in control of body fluid balance or cardiac alterations resulting in inadequate maintenance of stroke volume, altered arterial or venous vascular function, reduced activation of cardiovascular hormones, and diminished autonomic reflex function. There is evidence indicating a role for each of these mechanisms. Diminished reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system and subsequent vasoconstriction appear to play an important role. Studies utilizing the hindlimb-unloaded (HU) rat, an animal model of deconditioning, evaluated the potential role of altered arterial baroreflex control of the sympathetic nervous system. These studies indicate that HU results in blunted baroreflex-mediated activation of both renal and lumbar sympathetic nerve activity in response to a hypotensive stimulus. HU rats are less able to maintain arterial pressure during hemorrhage, suggesting that diminished ability to increase sympathetic activity has functional consequences for the animal. Reflex control of vasopressin secretion appears to be enhanced following HU. Blunted baroreflex-mediated sympathoexcitation appears to involve altered central nervous system function. Baroreceptor afferent activity in response to changes in arterial pressure is unaltered in HU rats. However, increases in efferent sympathetic nerve activity for a given decrease in afferent input are blunted after HU. This altered central nervous system processing of baroreceptor inputs appears to involve an effect at the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Specifically, it appears that tonic GABAA-mediated inhibition of the RVLM is enhanced after HU. Augmented inhibition apparently arises from sources other than the caudal ventrolateral medulla. If similar alterations in control of the sympathetic nervous system occur in humans in response to cardiovascular deconditioning, it is likely that they play an important role in the observed tendency for orthostatic intolerance. Combined with potential changes in vascular function, cardiac function, and hypovolemia, the predisposition for orthostatic intolerance following cardiovascular deconditioning would be markedly enhanced by blunted ability to reflexly activate the sympathetic nervous system.

Postoperative complications do not influence the pattern of early lung function recovery after lung resection for lung cancer in patients at risk

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The pattern and factors influencing the lung function recovery in the first postoperative days are still not fully elucidated, especially in patients at increased risk. Methods Prospective study on 60 patients at increased risk, who underwent a lung resection for primary lung cancer. Inclusion criteria: complete resection and one or more known risk factors in form of COPD, cardiovascular disorders, advanced age or other comorbidities. Previous myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization or stenting, cardiac rhythm disorders, arterial hypertension and myocardiopathy determined the increased cardiac risk. The severity of COPD was graded according to GOLD criteria. The trend of the postoperative lung function recovery was assessed by performing spirometry with a portable spirometer. Results Cardiac comorbidity existed in 55%, mild and moderate COPD in 20% and 35% of patients respectively. Measured values of FVC% and FEV1% on postoperative days one, three and seven, showed continuous improvement, with significant difference between the days of measurement, especially between days three and seven. There was no difference in the trend of the lung function recovery between patients with and without postoperative complications. Whilst pO2 was decreasing during the first three days in a roughly parallel fashion in patients with respiratory, surgical complications and in patients without complications, a slight hypercapnia registered on the first postoperative day was gradually abolished in all groups except in patients with cardiac complications. Conclusion Extent of the lung resection and postoperative complications do not significantly influence the trend of the lung function recovery after lung resection for lung cancer. PMID:24884793

Postoperative complications do not influence the pattern of early lung function recovery after lung resection for lung cancer in patients at risk.

PubMed

Ercegovac, Maja; Subotic, Dragan; Zugic, Vladimir; Jakovic, Radoslav; Moskovljevic, Dejan; Bascarevic, Slavisa; Mujovic, Natasa

2014-05-19

The pattern and factors influencing the lung function recovery in the first postoperative days are still not fully elucidated, especially in patients at increased risk. Prospective study on 60 patients at increased risk, who underwent a lung resection for primary lung cancer. complete resection and one or more known risk factors in form of COPD, cardiovascular disorders, advanced age or other comorbidities. Previous myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization or stenting, cardiac rhythm disorders, arterial hypertension and myocardiopathy determined the increased cardiac risk. The severity of COPD was graded according to GOLD criteria. The trend of the postoperative lung function recovery was assessed by performing spirometry with a portable spirometer. Cardiac comorbidity existed in 55%, mild and moderate COPD in 20% and 35% of patients respectively. Measured values of FVC% and FEV1% on postoperative days one, three and seven, showed continuous improvement, with significant difference between the days of measurement, especially between days three and seven. There was no difference in the trend of the lung function recovery between patients with and without postoperative complications. Whilst pO2 was decreasing during the first three days in a roughly parallel fashion in patients with respiratory, surgical complications and in patients without complications, a slight hypercapnia registered on the first postoperative day was gradually abolished in all groups except in patients with cardiac complications. Extent of the lung resection and postoperative complications do not significantly influence the trend of the lung function recovery after lung resection for lung cancer.

Influence of the low thyroid state in diabetes mellitus on cardiac function and inotropic responsiveness to alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation: comparison with the role of hypothyroidism alone.

PubMed

Beenen, O H; Pfaffendorf, M; van Zwieten, P A

1996-10-01

The hypothyroid state accompanying diabetes mellitus has been suggested to be partly responsible for the diabetes-induced metabolic, hemodynamic, and pharmacological cardiovascular changes. We assessed the effectivity of streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes mellitus and a hypothyroid state. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of diabetes and hypothyrodism on cardiac function and the inotropic responsiveness to the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist cirazoline in isolated perfused hearts. Fasted or nonfasted Wistar rats were made diabetic with STZ 20, 40 or 60 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.). Another group was made hypothyroid by addition of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) to their drinking water. Rats receiving PTU became hypothyroid, whereas rats receiving STZ became simultaneously diabetic and hypothyroid. Basal functional parameters obtained in isolated perfused hearts were not influenced by diabetes, whereas maximal contractility was reduced in hearts obtained from hypothyroid animals. Cardiac inotropic responses to cirazoline were increased in diabetic rats, whereas responses in hypothyroid rats were not different from those in hearts obtained from control animals. Although diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism are associated with various similar metabolic and haemodynamic parameters, the increased inotropic response to alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation as observed in isolated perfused hearts of diabetic rats cannot be explained by the decrease in serum thyroxine levels.

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Approaches to Evaluate Next-Generation Tobacco and Non-Tobacco Products on Human Blood Platelets

PubMed Central

Spinelli, Sherry L.; Lannan, Katie L.; Loelius, Shannon G.

2017-01-01

Abstract Human blood platelets are major hemostatic regulators in the circulation and important in the mediation of chronic inflammation and immunomodulation. They are key elements that promote cardiovascular pathogenesis that leads to atherosclerosis, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. New information on tobacco use and platelet dysregulation shows that these highly understudied vascular cells are dysregulated by tobacco smoke. Thus, platelet function studies should be an important consideration for the evaluation of existing and next-generation tobacco and non-tobacco products. Novel in vitro approaches are being sought to investigate these products and their influence on platelet function. Platelets are ideally suited for product assessment, as robust and novel in vitro translational methods are available to assess platelet function. Furthermore, the use of human biological systems has the advantage that risk predictions will better reflect the human condition. PMID:28337466

Antihypertensive therapy and endothelial function.

PubMed

Nadar, Sunil; Blann, Andrew D; Lip, Gregory Y H

2004-01-01

The benefits of treating hypertension in terms of reduction of morbidity and mortality are well established. However, it is debatable whether this benefit is derived entirely from the effects of a reduced blood pressure or whether these agents exert effects over and above blood pressure reduction on the endothelium. Hypertension is associated with adverse changes (whether damage or dysfunction) in the endothelium. Indeed, endothelial damage/dysfunction has have been demonstrated to be a reliable prognostic indicator of future cardiovascular events in hypertension. Of the various drug classes, calcium channel blockers and the ACE inhibitors have significant direct effects on the endothelium. This is in contrast to the beta blockers and alpha adrenergic blockers that appear to indirectly influence endothelial function solely as a result of lowered blood pressure. Antioxidants may have a beneficial effect on endothelial function as well, although their clinical use does not seem to translate into clinical benefit.

Factors affecting affect cardiovascular health in Indonesian HIV patients beginning ART.

PubMed

Karim, Birry; Wijaya, Ika Praseya; Rahmaniyah, Rizky; Ariyanto, Ibnu; Waters, Shelley; Estiasari, Riwanti; Price, Patricia

2017-08-31

We present a small longitudinal study of how demographic factors and persistent burdens of HIV and cytomegalovirus (CMV) influence cardiovascular health in young adults beginning ART in an inner-city clinic in Jakarta, Indonesia. ART-naïve HIV patients [n = 67; aged 31 (19 to 48) years] were enrolled in the JakCCANDO Project. Echocardiography and carotid Doppler ultrasonography were performed before ART (V0) and after 3, 6, and 12 months (V3-12). Antibodies reactive with CMV lysate or IE-1 protein were assessed at each timepoint and CMV DNA was identified at V0. Markers of adverse cardiovascular prognosis [left ventricular mass index, ejection fraction and carotid intimal media thickness (cIMT)] were similar to healthy controls, but increased at V12. Internal diameters of the carotid arteries and systolic blood pressure correlated with HIV disease severity at V0, but cardiac parameters and cIMT did not. E/A ratios (left ventricular diastolic function) were lower in patients with CMV DNA at V0, but this effect waned by V6. Levels of antibody reactive with CMV IE-1 correlated inversely with CD4 T cell counts at V0, and levels at V6-V12 correlated directly with the right cIMT. Overall the severity of HIV disease and the response to ART have only subtle effects on cardiovascular health in this young Asian population. CMV replication before ART may have a transient effect on cardiac health, whilst antibody reactive with CMV IE-1 may mark a high persistent CMV burden with cumulative effects on the carotid artery.

Placental vascular dysfunction, fetal and childhood growth, and cardiovascular development: the generation R study.

PubMed

Gaillard, Romy; Steegers, Eric A P; Tiemeier, Henning; Hofman, Albert; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

2013-11-12

Suboptimal fetal nutrition may influence early growth and cardiovascular development. We examined whether umbilical and uterine artery resistance indices, as measures of feto-placental and utero-placental vascular function, respectively, are associated with fetal and childhood growth and cardiovascular development. This study was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study among 6716 mothers and their children. Umbilical artery pulsatility index and uterine artery resistance index and fetal growth were measured in third trimester. Childhood growth was repeatedly assessed from birth to the age of 6 years. We measured body fat distribution, left ventricular mass, and blood pressure at the age of 6 years. Higher third trimester umbilical and uterine artery vascular resistance were associated with lower fetal length and weight growth in third trimester resulting in a smaller size at birth among boys and girls (P values < 0.05). These differences in length and weight growth became smaller from the age of 6 months onwards, but were still present at the age of 6 years. Higher third trimester umbilical artery vascular resistance, but not uterine artery vascular resistance, was associated with higher childhood body mass index, total fat mass, android/gynoid fat mass ratio, and systolic blood pressure, and with a lower left ventricular mass (P values<0.05). These associations were not explained by birth weight. Stronger associations tended to be present among girls as compared with boys. Higher third trimester feto-placental vascular resistance, but not utero-placental vascular resistance, was associated with slower fetal growth rates and cardiovascular adaptations in childhood.

Linking Genes to Cardiovascular Diseases: Gene Action and Gene–Environment Interactions

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A unique myocardial characteristic is its ability to grow/remodel in order to adapt; this is determined partly by genes and partly by the environment and the milieu intérieur. In the “post-genomic” era, a need is emerging to elucidate the physiologic functions of myocardial genes, as well as potential adaptive and maladaptive modulations induced by environmental/epigenetic factors. Genome sequencing and analysis advances have become exponential lately, with escalation of our knowledge concerning sometimes controversial genetic underpinnings of cardiovascular diseases. Current technologies can identify candidate genes variously involved in diverse normal/abnormal morphomechanical phenotypes, and offer insights into multiple genetic factors implicated in complex cardiovascular syndromes. The expression profiles of thousands of genes are regularly ascertained under diverse conditions. Global analyses of gene expression levels are useful for cataloging genes and correlated phenotypes, and for elucidating the role of genes in maladies. Comparative expression of gene networks coupled to complex disorders can contribute insights as to how “modifier genes” influence the expressed phenotypes. Increasingly, a more comprehensive and detailed systematic understanding of genetic abnormalities underlying, for example, various genetic cardiomyopathies is emerging. Implementing genomic findings in cardiology practice may well lead directly to better diagnosing and therapeutics. There is currently evolving a strong appreciation for the value of studying gene anomalies, and doing so in a non-disjointed, cohesive manner. However, it is challenging for many—practitioners and investigators—to comprehend, interpret, and utilize the clinically increasingly accessible and affordable cardiovascular genomics studies. This survey addresses the need for fundamental understanding in this vital area. PMID:26545598

Baroreflex and neurovascular responses to skeletal muscle mechanoreflex activation in humans: an exercise in integrative physiology.

PubMed

Drew, Rachel C

2017-12-01

Cardiovascular adjustments to exercise resulting in increased blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) occur in response to activation of several neural mechanisms: the exercise pressor reflex, central command, and the arterial baroreflex. Neural inputs from these feedback and feedforward mechanisms integrate in the cardiovascular control centers in the brain stem and modulate sympathetic and parasympathetic neural outflow, resulting in the increased BP and HR observed during exercise. Another specific consequence of the central neural integration of these inputs during exercise is increased sympathetic neural outflow directed to the kidneys, causing renal vasoconstriction, a key reflex mechanism involved in blood flow redistribution during increased skeletal muscle work. Studies in humans have shown that muscle mechanoreflex activation inhibits cardiac vagal outflow, decreasing the sensitivity of baroreflex control of HR. Metabolite sensitization of muscle mechanoreceptors can lead to reduced sensitivity of baroreflex control of HR, with thromboxane being one of the metabolites involved, via greater inhibition of cardiac vagal outflow without affecting baroreflex control of BP or baroreflex resetting. Muscle mechanoreflex activation appears to play a predominant role in causing renal vasoconstriction, both in isolation and in the presence of local metabolites. Limited investigations in older adults and patients with cardiovascular-related disease have provided some insight into how the influence of muscle mechanoreflex activation on baroreflex function and renal vasoconstriction is altered in these populations. However, future research is warranted to better elucidate the specific effect of muscle mechanoreflex activation on baroreflex and neurovascular responses with aging and cardiovascular-related disease. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Role of the autonomic nervous system and baroreflex in stress-evoked cardiovascular responses in rats.

PubMed

Dos Reis, Daniel Gustavo; Fortaleza, Eduardo Albino Trindade; Tavares, Rodrigo Fiacadori; Corrêa, Fernando Morgan Aguiar

2014-07-01

Restraint stress (RS) is an experimental model to study stress-related cardiovascular responses, characterized by sustained pressor and tachycardiac responses. We used pharmacologic and surgical procedures to investigate the role played by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) in the mediation of stress-evoked cardiovascular responses. Ganglionic blockade with pentolinium significantly reduced RS-evoked pressor and tachycardiac responses. Intravenous treatment with homatropine methyl bromide did not affect the pressor response but increased tachycardia. Pretreatment with prazosin reduced the pressor and increased the tachycardiac response. Pretreatment with atenolol did not affect the pressor response but reduced tachycardia. The combined treatment with atenolol and prazosin reduced both pressor and tachycardiac responses. Adrenal demedullation reduced the pressor response without affecting tachycardia. Sinoaortic denervation increased pressor and tachycardiac responses. The results indicate that: (1) the RS-evoked cardiovascular response is mediated by the autonomic nervous system without an important involvement of humoral factors; (2) hypertension results primarily from sympathovascular and sympathoadrenal activation, without a significant involvement of the cardiac sympathetic component (CSNS); (3) the abrupt initial peak in the hypertensive response to restraint is sympathovascular-mediated, whereas the less intense but sustained hypertensive response observed throughout the remaining restraint session is mainly mediated by sympathoadrenal activation and epinephrine release; (4) tachycardia results from CSNS activation, and not from PSNS inhibition; (5) RS evokes simultaneous CSNS and PSNS activation, and heart rate changes are a vector of both influences; (6) the baroreflex is functional during restraint, and modulates both the vascular and cardiac responses to restraint.

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-Hypermobile type.

PubMed

Hakim, Alan; O'Callaghan, Chris; De Wandele, Inge; Stiles, Lauren; Pocinki, Alan; Rowe, Peter

2017-03-01

Autonomic dysfunction contributes to health-related impairment of quality of life in the hypermobile type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). Typical signs and symptoms include tachycardia, hypotension, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and disturbed bladder function and sweating regulation. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may present as Orthostatic Intolerance, Orthostatic Hypotension, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or Neurally Mediated Hypotension. The incidence, prevalence, and natural history of these conditions remain unquantified, but observations from specialist clinics suggest they are frequently seen in hEDS. There is growing understanding of how hEDS-related physical and physiological pathology contributes to the development of these conditions. Evaluation of cardiovascular symptoms in hEDS should include a careful history and clinical examination. Tests of cardiovascular function range from clinic room observation to tilt-table assessment to other laboratory investigations such as supine and standing catecholamine levels. Non-pharmacologic treatments include education, managing the environment to reduce exposure to triggers, improving cardiovascular fitness, and maintaining hydration. Although there are limited clinical trials, the response to drug treatments in hEDS is supported by evidence from case and cohort observational data, and short-term physiological studies. Pharmacologic therapy is indicated for patients with moderate-severe impairment of daily function and who have inadequate response or tolerance to conservative treatment. Treatment in hEDS often requires a focus on functional maintenance. Also, the negative impact of cardiovascular symptoms on physical and psycho-social well-being may generate a need for a more general evaluation and on-going management and support. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cardiovascular function in women with recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and/or intrauterine growth restriction.

PubMed

Mahendru, Amita A; Everett, Thomas R; McEniery, Carmel M; Wilkinson, Ian B; Lees, Christoph C

2013-03-01

To investigate prepregnancy cardiovascular function and risk factors in women with previous pregnancy complications. Thirty-four women with previous normal pregnancy (controls), 26 with unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) and 14 with pre-eclampsia (PE) and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), planning to conceive were recruited. Brachial and central blood pressures (BP), cardiac output (CO), peripheral vascular resistance (PVR), aortic stiffness, blood biochemistry and platelet aggregation were assessed. Women with previous PE/IUGR had higher brachial diastolic BP (78 ± 9 vs 71 ± 7 mmHg; p = 0.03), central systolic BP (107 ± 10 vs 99 ± 8 mmHg; p = 0.03), mean arterial pressure (92 ± 10 vs 84 ± 8 mmHg; p = 0.01) and PVR (1499 ± 300 vs 1250 ± 220 dynes.s(-1) cm(-5); p = 0.005), than the controls. No differences were observed in either cardiovascular function or blood biochemistry in women with unexplained RM compared with the controls. Women with previous PE/IUGR though not with RM had a stronger family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than controls. Women with previous PE and/or IUGR had higher BP and PVR compared with controls, which may predispose them to CVD later in life. However, in the absence of underlying vascular pathology, women with unexplained RM did not have abnormal cardiovascular function. Prepregnancy period provides an opportunity to identify cardiovascular risks in relation to previous obstetric history.

[Physiological aspects of music and longevity].

PubMed

Dymnikowa, M

The article provides an overview of the results of studies on the effect of music on the function of various physiological systems of the organism including the nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, also on the effect of Mozart's music and the later mature Baroque music. Particular attention is paid to information on the influence of different kinds of music (classical, jazz and rock), of the nature and of the degree of musical activity (listeners, amateurs and professional performers) on cognitive and behavioral function, on health status, life expectancy and longevity. Structural acoustical attributes of music defining its treatment effect, are described with the comparison of aspects of rock music and of classical music. The article also considers the prospects for using of music in the treatment and prevention of age-associated diseases.

Cardiac Structure and Function in Humans: A New Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Su; Burleson, Paul D.; Passo, Stanley; Messina, Edward J.; Levine, Norman; Thompson, Carl I.; Belloni, Francis L.; Recchia, Fabio A.; Ojaimi, Caroline; Kaley, Gabor; Hintze, Thomas H.

2009-01-01

As the traditional cardiovascular control laboratory has disappeared from the first-year medical school curriculum, we have recognized the need to develop another "hands-on" experience as a vehicle for wide-ranging discussions of cardiovascular control mechanisms. Using an echocardiograph, an automatic blood pressure cuff, and a reclining bicycle,…

Application of stem cells for cardiovascular grafts tissue engineering.

PubMed

Wu, Kaihong; Liu, Ying Long; Cui, Bin; Han, Zhongchao

2006-06-01

Congenital and acquired heart diseases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality world-wide. Currently, the synthetic materials or bioprosthetic replacement devices for cardiovascular surgery are imperfect and subject patients to one or more ongoing risks including thrombosis, limited durability and need for reoperations due to lack of growth in children and young adults. Suitable replacement grafts should have appropriate characteristics, including resistance to infection, low immunogenicity, good biocompatability and thromboresistance, with appropriate mechanical and physiological properties. Tissue engineering is a new scientific field aiming at fabrication of living, autologous grafts having structure or function properties that can be used to restore, maintain or improve tissue function. The use of autologous stem cells in cardiovascular tissue engineering is quite promising due to their capacity of self-renewal, high proliferation, and differentiation into specialized progeny. Progress has been made in engineering the various components of the cardiovascular system, including myocardial constructs, heart valves, and vascular patches or conduits with autologous stem cells. This paper will review the current achievements in stem cell-based cardiovascular grafts tissue engineering, with an emphasis on its clinical or possible clinical use in cardiovascular surgery.

Cardiovascular programming in children born small for gestational age and relationship with prenatal signs of severity.

PubMed

Crispi, Fatima; Figueras, Francesc; Cruz-Lemini, Monica; Bartrons, Joaquim; Bijnens, Bart; Gratacos, Eduard

2012-08-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate cardiovascular function in children who were small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses. This was a prospective study including 100 controls and 50 children diagnosed in utero as SGA after 34 weeks subdivided into the following categories: SGA and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) according to the absence or presence, respectively, of weight centile less than 3 or abnormal cerebroplacental Doppler. Postnatal cardiovascular outcome was evaluated at 3-6 years of age by echocardiography, blood pressure, and carotid ultrasound. Both SGA and IUGR presented in childhood more globular hearts, reduced longitudinal motion, and impaired relaxation with an increase in radial function. Both groups showed increased blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness. There was a linear tendency to worse cardiovascular results in IUGR as compared with SGA. Fetal cardiovascular programming occurs in SGA, regardless of Doppler and weight centile. These findings challenge the concept of constitutionally small and warrant further investigation to identify predictors of cardiovascular outcome in SGA. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular disease in the polycystic ovary syndrome: new insights and perspectives.

PubMed

Cussons, Andrea J; Stuckey, Bronwyn G A; Watts, Gerald F

2006-04-01

The new millennium has brought intense focus of interest on the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women characterised by hyperandrogenism and oligomenorrhoea. Most women with PCOS also exhibit features of the metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidaemia. While the association with type 2 diabetes is well established, whether the incidence of cardiovascular disease is increased in women with PCOS remains unclear. Echocardiography, imaging of coronary and carotid arteries, and assessments of both endothelial function and arterial stiffness have recently been employed to address this question. These studies have collectively demonstrated both structural and functional abnormalities of the cardiovascular system in PCOS. These alterations, however, appear to be related to the presence of individual cardiovascular risk factors, particularly insulin resistance, rather than to the presence of PCOS and hyperandrogenaemia per se. However, given the inferential nature of the evidence to date, more rigorous cohort studies of long-term cardiovascular outcomes and clinical trials of risk factor modification are required in women with PCOS.

Evidence based position paper on physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) professional practice for people with cardiovascular conditions. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

PubMed

Juocevicius, Alvydas; Oral, Aydan; Lukmann, Aet; Takáč, Peter; Tederko, Piotr; Hāznere, Ilze; Aguiar-Branco, Catarina; Lazovic, Milica; Negrini, Stefano; Varela Donoso, Enrique; Christodoulou, Nicolas

2018-05-02

Cardiovascular conditions are significant causes of mortality and morbidity leading to substantial disability. The aim of the paper is to improve Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians' professional practice for persons with cardiovascular conditions in order to promote their functioning properties and to reduce activity limitations and/or participation restrictions. A systematic review of the literature and a Consensus procedure by means of a Delphi process has been performed involving the delegates of all European countries represented in the UEMS PRM Section. The systematic literature review is reported together with thirty recommendations resulting from the Delphi procedure. The professional role of PRM physicians having expertise in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular conditions is to lead cardiac rehabilitation programmes in multiprofessional teams, working in collaboration with other disciplines in a variety of settings to improve functioning of people with cardiovascular conditions. This EBPP represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS PRM Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians in persons with cardiovascular conditions.

Nucleus Ambiguus Cholinergic Neurons Activated by Acupuncture: Relation to Enkephalin

PubMed Central

Guo, Zhi-Ling; Li, Min; Longhurst, John C.

2012-01-01

Acupuncture regulates autonomic function. Our previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) at the Jianshi–Neiguan acupoints (P5–P6, underlying the median nerve) inhibits central sympathetic outflow and attenuates excitatory cardiovascular reflexes, in part, through an opioid mechanism. It is unknown if EA at these acupoints influences the parasympathetic system. Thus, using c-Fos expression, we examined activation of nucleus ambiguus (NAmb) neurons by EA, their relation to cholinergic (preganglionic parasympathetic) neurons and those containing enkephalin. To enhance detection of cell bodies containing enkephalin, colchicine (90–100 μg/kg) was administered into the subarachnoid space of cats 30 hr prior to EA or sham-operated controls for EA. Following bilateral barodenervation and cervical vagotomy, either EA for 30 min at P5–P6 acupoints or control stimulation (needle placement at P5–P6 without stimulation) was applied. While perikarya containing enkephalin were observed in some medullary nuclei (e.g., râphe), only enkephalin-containing neuronal processes were found in the NAmb. Compared to controls (n=4), more c-Fos immunoreactivity, located principally in close proximity to fibers containing enkephalin was noted in the NAmb of EA-treated cats (n=5; P<0.01). Moreover, neurons double-labeled with c-Fos and choline acetyltransferase in the NAmb were identified in EA-treated, but not the control animals. These data demonstrate for the first time that EA activates preganglionic parasympathetic neurons in the NAmb. Because of their close proximity, these EA-activated neurons likely interact with nerve fibers containing enkephalin. These results suggest that EA at the P5–P6 acupoints has the potential to influence parasympathetic outflow and cardiovascular function, likely through an enkephalinergic mechanism. PMID:22306033

Fabrication of polyurethane and polyurethane based composite fibres by the electrospinning technique for soft tissue engineering of cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Kucinska-Lipka, J; Gubanska, I; Janik, H; Sienkiewicz, M

2015-01-01

Electrospinning is a unique technique, which provides forming of polymeric scaffolds for soft tissue engineering, which include tissue scaffolds for soft tissues of the cardiovascular system. Such artificial soft tissues of the cardiovascular system may possess mechanical properties comparable to native vascular tissues. Electrospinning technique gives the opportunity to form fibres with nm- to μm-scale in diameter. The arrangement of obtained fibres and their surface determine the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Polyurethanes (PUs) are being commonly used as a prosthesis of cardiovascular soft tissues due to their excellent biocompatibility, non-toxicity, elasticity and mechanical properties. PUs also possess fine spinning properties. The combination of a variety of PU properties with an electrospinning technique, conducted at the well tailored conditions, gives unlimited possibilities of forming novel polyurethane materials suitable for soft tissue scaffolds applied in cardiovascular tissue engineering. This paper can help researches to gain more widespread and deeper understanding of designing electrospinable PU materials, which may be used as cardiovascular soft tissue scaffolds. In this paper we focus on reagents used in PU synthesis designed to increase PU biocompatibility (polyols) and biodegradability (isocyanates). We also describe suggested surface modifications of electrospun PUs, and the direct influence of surface wettability on providing enhanced biocompatibility of scaffolds. We indicate a great influence of electrospinning parameters (voltage, flow rate, working distance) and used solvents (mostly DMF, THF and HFIP) on fibre alignment and diameter - what impacts the biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of such electrospun PU scaffolds. Moreover, we present PU modifications with natural polymers with novel approach applied in electrospinning of PU scaffolds. This work may contribute with further developing of novel electrospun PUs, which may be applied as soft tissue scaffolds of the cardiovascular system. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Influence of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle characteristics on cardiovascular disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation.

PubMed

Chow, Eric J; Baker, K Scott; Lee, Stephanie J; Flowers, Mary E D; Cushing-Haugen, Kara L; Inamoto, Yoshihiro; Khera, Nandita; Leisenring, Wendy M; Syrjala, Karen L; Martin, Paul J

2014-01-20

To determine the influence of modifiable lifestyle factors on the risk of cardiovascular disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). HCT survivors of ≥ 1 year treated from 1970 to 2010 (n = 3,833) were surveyed from 2010 to 2011 on current cardiovascular health and related lifestyle factors (smoking, diet, recreational physical activity). Responses (n = 2,362) were compared with those from a matched general population sample (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES]; n = 1,192). Compared with NHANES participants, HCT survivors (median age, 55.9 years; median 10.8 years since HCT; 71.3% allogeneic) had higher rates of cardiomyopathy (4.0% v 2.6%), stroke (4.8% v 3.3%), dyslipidemia (33.9% v 22.3%), and diabetes (14.3% v 11.7%; P < .05 for all comparisons). Prevalence of hypertension was similar (27.9% v 30.0%), and survivors were less likely to have ischemic heart disease (6.1% v 8.9%; P < .01). Among HCT survivors, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were independent risk factors for ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy, and smoking was associated with ischemic heart disease and diabetes (odds ratios [ORs], 1.8 to 2.1; P = .02). Obesity was a risk factor for post-transplantation hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes (ORs ≥ 2.0; P < .001). In contrast, lower fruit/vegetable intake was associated with greater risk of dyslipidemia and diabetes (ORs, 1.4 to 1.8; P ≤ .01), and lower physical activity level was associated with greater risk of hypertension and diabetes (ORs, 1.4 to 1.5; P < .05). Healthier lifestyle characteristics among HCT survivors attenuated risk of all cardiovascular conditions assessed. Attention of clinicians to conventional cardiovascular risk factors and modifiable lifestyle characteristics offers hope of reducing serious cardiovascular morbidity after HCT.

Ghrelin and the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Tokudome, Takeshi; Kishimoto, Ichiro; Miyazato, Mikiya; Kangawa, Kenj

2014-01-01

Ghrelin is a peptide that was originally isolated from the stomach. It exerts potent growth hormone (GH)-releasing and orexigenic activities. Several studies have highlighted the therapeutic benefits of ghrelin for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In animal models of chronic heart failure, the administration of ghrelin improved cardiac function and remodeling; these findings were replicated in human patients with heart failure. Moreover, in an animal study, ghrelin administration effectively reduced pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxia. In addition, repeated administration of ghrelin to cachectic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had positive effects on overall body function, including muscle wasting, functional capacity and sympathetic activity. The administration of ghrelin early after myocardial infarction (MI) reduced fatal arrhythmia and related mortality. In ghrelin-deficient mice, both exogenous and endogenous ghrelin were protective against fatal arrhythmia and promoted remodeling after MI. Although the mechanisms underlying the effects of ghrelin on the cardiovascular system remain unclear, there are indications that its beneficial effects are mediated through both direct physiological actions, including increased GH levels, improved energy balance and direct actions on cardiovascular cells, and regulation of autonomic nervous system activity. Therefore, ghrelin is a promising novel therapeutic agent for cardiovascular disease. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Noninvasive assessment of the developing Xenopus cardiovascular system using optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Boppart, Stephen A.; Tearney, Gary J.; Bouma, Brett E.; Southern, James F.; Brezinski, Mark E.; Fujimoto, James G.

1997-01-01

Studies investigating normal and abnormal cardiac development are frequently limited by an inability to assess cardiovascular function within the intact organism. In this work, optical coherence tomography (OCT), a new method of micron-scale, noninvasive imaging based on the measurement of backscattered infrared light, was introduced for the high resolution assessment of structure and function in the developing Xenopus laevis cardiovascular system. Microstructural details, such as ventricular size and wall positions, were delineated with OCT at 16-μm resolution and correlated with histology. Three-dimensional representation of the cardiovascular system also was achieved by repeated cross-sectional imaging at intervals of 25 μm. In addition to structural information, OCT provides high speed in vivo axial ranging and imaging, allowing quantitative dynamic activity, such as ventricular ejection fraction, to be assessed. The sensitivity of OCT for dynamic assessment was demonstrated with an inotropic agent that altered cardiac function and dimensions. Optical coherence tomography is an attractive new technology for assessing cardiovascular development because of its high resolution, its ability to image through nontransparent structures, and its inexpensive portable design. In vivo and in vitro imaging are performed at a resolution approaching that of histopathology without the need for animal killing. PMID:9113976

Bridging the gap between measurements and modelling: a cardiovascular functional avatar.

PubMed

Casas, Belén; Lantz, Jonas; Viola, Federica; Cedersund, Gunnar; Bolger, Ann F; Carlhäll, Carl-Johan; Karlsson, Matts; Ebbers, Tino

2017-07-24

Lumped parameter models of the cardiovascular system have the potential to assist researchers and clinicians to better understand cardiovascular function. The value of such models increases when they are subject specific. However, most approaches to personalize lumped parameter models have thus far required invasive measurements or fall short of being subject specific due to a lack of the necessary clinical data. Here, we propose an approach to personalize parameters in a model of the heart and the systemic circulation using exclusively non-invasive measurements. The personalized model is created using flow data from four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging and cuff pressure measurements in the brachial artery. We term this personalized model the cardiovascular avatar. In our proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the capability of the avatar to reproduce pressures and flows in a group of eight healthy subjects. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, the model-based results agreed well with the pressure and flow measurements obtained in vivo for each subject. This non-invasive and personalized approach can synthesize medical data into clinically relevant indicators of cardiovascular function, and estimate hemodynamic variables that cannot be assessed directly from clinical measurements.

Protective effects of dark chocolate on endothelial function and diabetes.

PubMed

Grassi, Davide; Desideri, Giovambattista; Ferri, Claudio

2013-11-01

Relationship between cocoa consumption and cardiovascular disease, particularly focusing on clinical implications resulting from the beneficial effects of cocoa consumption on endothelial function and insulin resistance. This could be of clinical relevance and may suggest the mechanistic explanation for the reduced risk of cardiovascular events reported in the different studies after cocoa intake. Increasing evidence supports a protective effect of cocoa consumption against cardiovascular disease. Cocoa and flavonoids from cocoa have been described to improve endothelial function and insulin resistance. A proposed mechanism could be considered in the improvement of the endothelium-derived vasodilator nitric oxide by enhancing nitric oxide synthesis or by decreasing nitric oxide breakdown. The endothelium plays a pivotal role in the arterial homeostasis, and insulin resistance is the most important pathophysiological feature in various prediabetic and diabetic states. Reduced nitric oxide bioavailability with endothelial dysfunction is considered the earliest step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Further, insulin resistance could account, at least in part, for the endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction has been considered an important and independent predictor of future development of cardiovascular risk and events. Cocoa and flavonoids from cocoa might positively modulate these mechanisms with a putative role in cardiovascular protection.

Intra- and Interorgan Communication in the Cardiovascular System: A Special View on Redox Regulation.

PubMed

Gödecke, Axel; Haendeler, Judith

2017-04-20

Intraorgan communication in the cardiovascular system is exerted not only by direct cell-cell contacts but also by locally released factors, which modulate neighboring cells by paracrine signals (e.g., NO, vascular endothelial growth factor, adenosine, reactive oxygen species). Moreover, cells in close proximity to the typical cardiovascular cells such as fibroblasts, red blood cells, as well as resident and invading immune cells must be considered in attempts to understand cardiovascular function in physiology and pathology. The second level of communication is the interorgan communication, which may be distinguished from intraorgan communication, since it involves signaling from remote organs to the heart and circulation. Therefore, mediators released by, for example, the kidney or skeletal muscle reach the heart and modulate its function. This is not only the case under physiological conditions, because there is increasing evidence that the organ-specific response to a primary insult may affect also the function of remote organs by the release of factors. This Forum will summarize novel mechanisms involved in intraorgan and interorgan communication of the cardiovascular system, with a special view on the remote organs, skeletal muscle and kidney. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 613-615.

Isolated heart models: cardiovascular system studies and technological advances.

PubMed

Olejnickova, Veronika; Novakova, Marie; Provaznik, Ivo

2015-07-01

Isolated heart model is a relevant tool for cardiovascular system studies. It represents a highly reproducible model for studying broad spectrum of biochemical, physiological, morphological, and pharmaceutical parameters, including analysis of intrinsic heart mechanics, metabolism, and coronary vascular response. Results obtained in this model are under no influence of other organ systems, plasma concentration of hormones or ions and influence of autonomic nervous system. The review describes various isolated heart models, the modes of heart perfusion, and advantages and limitations of various experimental setups. It reports the improvements of perfusion setup according to Langendorff introduced by the authors.

The NASA-USPHS Health Evaluation and Enhancement Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durbeck, D. C.; Heinzelmann, F.; Moxley, R. T., III; Schacther, J.; Payne, G. H.; Limoncelli, D. D.; Fox, S. M., III; Arnoldi, L. B.

1972-01-01

An exercise program was initiated to assess the feasibility of an on the job health evaluation and enhancement program, as well as to identify the factors which influenced volunteering, adherence, and effectiveness of the program. The program was utilized by 237 of the 998 eligible Federal employees, with a mean attendance of 1.3 days per week. Those who volunteered perceived a need for increased physical activity, felt they had sufficient time to participate, and derived subjective as well as objective benefits. Significant improvements were found in heart rate response to the standard exercise test, body weight, skinfold measurements, and triglycerides. A consistent relationship was found between subjectively reported effects of the program on work, health habits, and behavior, and improvement in cardiovascular function, based on treadmill performance. Numerous personal and programmatic factors influencing volunteering and participation were identified.

Beat to beat variability in cardiovascular variables: noise or music?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appel, M. L.; Berger, R. D.; Saul, J. P.; Smith, J. M.; Cohen, R. J.

1989-01-01

Cardiovascular variables such as heart rate, arterial blood pressure, stroke volume and the shape of electrocardiographic complexes all fluctuate on a beat to beat basis. These fluctuations have traditionally been ignored or, at best, treated as noise to be averaged out. The variability in cardiovascular signals reflects the homeodynamic interplay between perturbations to cardiovascular function and the dynamic response of the cardiovascular regulatory systems. Modern signal processing techniques provide a means of analyzing beat to beat fluctuations in cardiovascular signals, so as to permit a quantitative, noninvasive or minimally invasive method of assessing closed loop hemodynamic regulation and cardiac electrical stability. This method promises to provide a new approach to the clinical diagnosis and management of alterations in cardiovascular regulation and stability.

Tachycardia, reduced vagal capacity, and age-dependent ventricular dysfunction arising from diminished expression of the presynaptic choline transporter

PubMed Central

English, Brett A.; Appalsamy, Martin; Diedrich, Andre; Ruggiero, Alicia M.; Lund, David; Wright, Jane; Keller, Nancy R.; Louderback, Katherine M.; Robertson, David

2010-01-01

Healthy cardiovascular function relies on a balanced and responsive integration of noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the heart. High-affinity choline uptake by cholinergic terminals is pivotal for efficient ACh production and release. To date, the cardiovascular impact of diminished choline transporter (CHT) expression has not been directly examined, largely due to the transporter's inaccessibility in vivo. Here, we describe findings from cardiovascular experiments using transgenic mice that bear a CHT genetic deficiency. Whereas CHT knockout (CHT−/−) mice exhibit early postnatal lethality, CHT heterozygous (CHT+/−) mice survive, grow, and reproduce normally and exhibit normal spontaneous behaviors. However, the CHT+/− mouse heart displays significantly reduced levels of high-affinity choline uptake accompanied by significantly reduced levels of ACh. Telemeterized recordings of cardiovascular function in these mice revealed tachycardia and hypertension at rest. After treadmill exercise, CHT+/− mice exhibited slower heart rate recovery, consistent with a diminished cholinergic reserve, a contention validated through direct vagal nerve stimulation. Echocardiographic and histological experiments revealed an age-dependent decrease in fractional shortening, increased left ventricular dimensions, and increased ventricular fibrosis, consistent with ventricular dysfunction. These cardiovascular phenotypes of CHT+/− mice encourage an evaluation of humans bearing reduced CHT expression for their resiliency in maintaining proper heart function as well as risk for cardiovascular disease. PMID:20601463

Patterns of adiposity, vascular phenotypes and cognitive function in the 1946 British Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Masi, Stefano; Georgiopoulos, Georgios; Khan, Tauseef; Johnson, William; Wong, Andrew; Charakida, Marietta; Whincup, Peter; Hughes, Alun D; Richards, Marcus; Hardy, Rebecca; Deanfield, John

2018-05-28

The relationship between long-term exposure to whole body or central obesity and cognitive function, as well as its potential determinants, remain controversial. In this study, we assessed (1) the potential impact of 30 years exposure to different patterns of whole body and central adiposity on cognitive function at 60-64 years, (2) whether trajectories of central adiposity can provide additional information on later cognitive function compared to trajectories of whole body adiposity, and (3) the influence of vascular phenotypes on these associations. The study included 1249 participants from the prospective cohort MRC National Survey of Health and Development. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and vascular (carotid intima-media thickness, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity) and cognitive function (memory, processing speed, reaction time) data, at 60-64 years, were used to assess the associations between different patterns of adult WC or BMI (from 36 years of age) and late midlife cognitive performance, as well as the proportion of this association explained by cardiovascular phenotypes. Longer exposure to elevated WC was related to lower memory performance (p < 0.001 for both) and longer choice reaction time (p = 0.003). A faster gain of WC between 36 and 43 years of age was associated with the largest change in reaction time and memory test (P < 0.05 for all). Similar associations were observed when patterns of WC were substituted with patterns of BMI, but when WC and BMI were included in the same model, only patterns of WC remained significantly associated with cognitive function. Participants who dropped one BMI category and maintained a lower BMI had similar memory performance to those of normal weight during the whole follow-up. Conversely, those who dropped and subsequently regained one BMI category had a memory function similar to those with 30 years exposure to elevated BMI. Adjustment for vascular phenotypes, levels of cardiovascular risk factors, physical activity, education, childhood cognition and socioeconomic position did not affect these associations. Longer exposure to elevated WC or BMI and faster WC or BMI gains between 36 and 43 years are related to lower cognitive function at 60-64 years. Patterns of WC in adulthood could provide additional information in predicting late midlife cognitive function than patterns of BMI. The acquisition of an adverse cardiovascular phenotype associated with adiposity is unlikely to account for these relationships.

CLOCK gene variation is associated with incidence of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in type-2 diabetic subjects: dietary modulation in the PREDIMED randomized trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background Circadian rhythms regulate key biological processes influencing metabolic pathways. Dysregulation is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Circadian rhythms are generated by a transcriptional autoregulatory feedback loop involving core clock genes. CLOCK...

Gender, the Marital Life Course, and Cardiovascular Disease in Late Midlife

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Zhenmei; Hayward, Mark D.

2006-01-01

Drawing on 5 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the influence of the marital life course on the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease among 9,434 middle-aged individuals. Results show that compared to continuously married persons, both men and women with a marital loss have significantly higher prevalence of…

Evaluating the Impact of a Brief Artistic Intervention on Cardiovascular Recovery from Acute Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keogh, Katharina; Creaven, Ann-Marie

2017-01-01

In this study we tested whether drawing and coloring influence cardiovascular recovery and perceived stress following exposure to a stressor. In a mixed experimental design, participants (N = 62) completed an acute stress task before being randomly assigned to one of three brief activities: free-form drawing (full creative control), coloring…

Fine Ambient Particulate and Ozone Co-Exposures in Durham, North Carolina: Influence of Season on Particle Chemistry and Cardiovascular Responses in Rats

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiological studies have shown that the presence of one air pollutant modifies the cardiovascular health effects of another while controlled exposure studies in humans have documented synergistic effects of co-exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3) on bloo...

Habitual dietary sodium intake is inversely associated with coronary flow reserve in middle-aged male twins.

PubMed

Eufinger, Silvia C; Votaw, John; Faber, Tracy; Ziegler, Thomas R; Goldberg, Jack; Bremner, J Douglas; Vaccarino, Viola

2012-03-01

Evidence links dietary sodium to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but investigation of its influence on cardiovascular function is limited. We examined the relation between habitual dietary sodium and coronary flow reserve (CFR), which is a measure of overall coronary vasodilator capacity and microvascular function. We hypothesized that increased sodium consumption is associated with lower CFR. Habitual daily sodium intake for the previous 12 mo was measured in 286 male middle-aged twins (133 monozygotic and dizygotic pairs and 20 unpaired twins) by using the Willett food-frequency questionnaire. CFR was measured by positron emission tomography [N(13)]-ammonia, with quantitation of myocardial blood flow at rest and after adenosine stress. Mixed-effects regression analysis was used to assess the association between dietary sodium and CFR. An increase in dietary sodium of 1000 mg/d was associated with a 10.0% lower CFR (95% CI: -17.0%, -2.5%) after adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, nutritional, and CVD risk factors (P = 0.01). Across quintiles of sodium consumption, dietary sodium was inversely associated with CFR (P-trend = 0.03), with the top quintile (>1456 mg/d) having a 20% lower CFR than the bottom quintile (<732 mg /d). This association also persisted within pairs: a 1000-mg/d difference in dietary sodium between brothers was associated with a 10.3% difference in CFR after adjustment for potential confounders (P = 0.02). Habitual dietary sodium is inversely associated with CFR independent of CVD risk factors and shared familial and genetic factors. Our study suggests a potential novel mechanism for the adverse effects of dietary sodium on the cardiovascular system. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00017836.

Arterial pulse wave velocity but not augmentation index is associated with coronary artery disease extent and severity: implications for arterial transfer function applicability.

PubMed

Hope, Sarah A; Antonis, Paul; Adam, David; Cameron, James D; Meredith, Ian T

2007-10-01

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that coronary artery disease extent and severity are associated with central aortic pressure waveform characteristics. Although it is thought that central aortic pressure waveform characteristics, particularly augmentation index, may influence cardiovascular disease progression and predict cardiovascular risk, little is known of the relationship between central waveform characteristics and the severity and extent of coronary artery disease. Central aortic waveforms (2F Millar pressure transducer-tipped catheters) were acquired at the time of coronary angiography for suspected native coronary artery disease in 40 patients (24 male). The severity and extent of disease were assessed independently by two observers using two previously described scoring systems (modified Gensini's stenosis and Sullivan's extent scores). Relationships between disease scores, aortic waveform characteristics, aorto-radial pulse wave velocity and subject demographic features were assessed by regression techniques. Both extent and severity scores were associated with increasing age and male sex (P < 0.001), but no other risk factors. Both scores were independently associated with aorto-radial pulse wave velocity (P < 0.001), which entered a multiple regression model prior to age and sex. This association was not dependent upon blood pressure. Neither score was associated with central aortic augmentation index, by either simple or multiple linear regression techniques including heart rate, subject demographic features and cardiovascular risk factors. Aorto-radial pulse wave velocity, but not central aortic augmentation index, is associated with both the extent and severity of coronary artery disease. This has potentially important implications for applicability of a generalized arterial transfer function.

Habitual dietary sodium intake is inversely associated with coronary flow reserve in middle-aged male twins1234

PubMed Central

Eufinger, Silvia C; Votaw, John; Faber, Tracy; Ziegler, Thomas R; Goldberg, Jack; Bremner, J Douglas

2012-01-01

Background: Evidence links dietary sodium to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but investigation of its influence on cardiovascular function is limited. Objective: We examined the relation between habitual dietary sodium and coronary flow reserve (CFR), which is a measure of overall coronary vasodilator capacity and microvascular function. We hypothesized that increased sodium consumption is associated with lower CFR. Design: Habitual daily sodium intake for the previous 12 mo was measured in 286 male middle-aged twins (133 monozygotic and dizygotic pairs and 20 unpaired twins) by using the Willett food-frequency questionnaire. CFR was measured by positron emission tomography [N13]-ammonia, with quantitation of myocardial blood flow at rest and after adenosine stress. Mixed-effects regression analysis was used to assess the association between dietary sodium and CFR. Results: An increase in dietary sodium of 1000 mg/d was associated with a 10.0% lower CFR (95% CI: −17.0%, −2.5%) after adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, nutritional, and CVD risk factors (P = 0.01). Across quintiles of sodium consumption, dietary sodium was inversely associated with CFR (P-trend = 0.03), with the top quintile (>1456 mg/d) having a 20% lower CFR than the bottom quintile (<732 mg /d). This association also persisted within pairs: a 1000-mg/d difference in dietary sodium between brothers was associated with a 10.3% difference in CFR after adjustment for potential confounders (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Habitual dietary sodium is inversely associated with CFR independent of CVD risk factors and shared familial and genetic factors. Our study suggests a potential novel mechanism for the adverse effects of dietary sodium on the cardiovascular system. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00017836. PMID:22258268

Kinin B1 receptor blockade and ACE inhibition attenuate cardiac postinfarction remodeling and heart failure in rats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Xinchun

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the novel kinin B1 receptor antagonist BI113823 on postinfarction cardiac remodeling and heart failure, and to determine whether B1 receptor blockade alters the cardiovascular effects of an angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in rats. Methods and results: Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to permanent occlusion of the left coronary artery. Cardiovascular function was determined at 6 weeks postinfarction. Treatment with either B1 receptor antagonist (BI113823) or an ACE inhibitor (lisinopril) alone or in combination significantly reduced the heart weight-to-body weight and lung weight-to-body weight ratios, andmore » improved postinfarction cardiac function as evidenced by greater cardiac output, the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise (± dP/dtmax), left ventricle ejection fraction, fractional shorting, better wall motion, and attenuation of elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Furthermore, all three treatment groups exhibited significant reduction in cardiac interstitial fibrosis, collagen deposition, CD68 positive macrophages, neutrophils, and proinflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α and IL-1β), compared to vehicle controls. Conclusion: The present study shows that treatment with the novel kinin B1 receptor antagonist, BI113823, reduces postinfarction cardiac remodeling and heart failure, and does not influence the cardiovascular effects of the ACE inhibitor. - Highlights: • We examined the role of kinin B1 receptors in the development of heart failure. • Kinin B1 receptor blockade attenuates post-infarction cardiac remodeling. • Kinin B1 receptor blockade improves dysfunction, and prevented heart failure. • B1 receptor blockade does not affect the cardio-protection of an ACE inhibitor.« less

Urine albumin/creatinine ratio, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide--three new cardiovascular risk markers--do they improve risk prediction and influence treatment?

PubMed

Olsen, Michael H; Sehestedt, Thomas; Lyngbaek, Stig; Hansen, Tine W; Rasmussen, Susanne; Wachtell, Kristian; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Hildebrandt, Per R; Ibsen, Hans

2010-01-01

In order to prioritize limited health resources in a time of increasing demands optimal cardiovascular risk stratification is essential. We tested the additive prognostic value of 3 relatively new, but established cardiovascular risk markers: N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP), related to hemodynamic cardiovascular risk factors, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), related to metabolic cardiovascular risk factors and urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), related to hemodynamic as well as metabolic risk factors. In healthy subjects with a 10-year risk of cardiovascular death lower than 5% based on HeartScore and therefore not eligible for primary prevention, the actual 10-year risk of cardiovascular death exceeded 5% in a small subgroup of subjects with UACR higher than the 95-percentile of approximately 1.6 mg/mmol. Combined use of high UACR or high hsCRP identified a larger subgroup of 16% with high cardiovascular risk in which primary prevention may be advised despite low-moderate cardiovascular risk based on HeartScore. Furthermore, combined use of high UACR or high Nt-proBNP in subjects with known cardiovascular disease or diabetes identified a large subgroup of 48% with extremely high cardiovascular risk who should be referred for specialist care to optimize treatment.

Bed Rest Affects Ventricular and Arterial Elastances in Monkeys: Implications for Humans

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

Eart may provide insight into adaptation and compromise of cardiovascular function induced by exposure to microgravity or confinement to bed rest...control treatments in our animals in order for Ees to increase in a similar magnitude across LBNP. Although we did not measure cardiac baroreflex function ...treatments. Sunagawa and co-workers have proposed that the integrity of cardiovascular function during rest and exercise is dependent on a mechanical

High-Intensity Progressive Resistance Training Increases Strength With No Change in Cardiovascular Function and Autonomic Neural Regulation in Older Adults.

PubMed

Kanegusuku, Hélcio; Queiroz, Andréia C; Silva, Valdo J; de Mello, Marco T; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Forjaz, Cláudia L

2015-07-01

The effects of high-intensity progressive resistance training (HIPRT) on cardiovascular function and autonomic neural regulation in older adults are unclear. To investigate this issue, 25 older adults were randomly divided into two groups: control (CON, N = 13, 63 ± 4 years; no training) and HIPRT (N = 12, 64 ± 4 years; 2 sessions/week, 7 exercises, 2–4 sets, 10–4 RM). Before and after four months, maximal strength, quadriceps cross-sectional area (QCSA), clinic and ambulatory blood pressures (BP), systemic hemodynamics, and cardiovascular autonomic modulation were measured. Maximal strength and QCSA increased in the HIPRT group and did not change in the CON group. Clinic and ambulatory BP, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, stroke volume, heart rate, and cardiac sympathovagal balance did not change in the HIPRT group or the CON group. In conclusion, HIPRT was effective at increasing muscle mass and strength without promoting changes in cardiovascular function or autonomic neural regulation.

Subjective Social Status and Cardiovascular Reactivity: An Experimental Examination

PubMed Central

Pieritz, Karoline; Süssenbach, Philipp; Rief, Winfried; Euteneuer, Frank

2016-01-01

The present experiment examined the causal influence of subjective social status (SSS) on variables related to cardiovascular health [i.e., blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV)]. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions involving a social comparison that either induced a temporary shift toward high SSS or toward low SSS. Cardiovascular variables were measured before (baseline), throughout, and after the manipulation (recovery). Participants in the low SSS condition had a significantly lower HRV during experimental manipulation than at baseline (p = 0.001). They also showed a significantly stronger HRV reactivity compared to participants in the high SSS condition (p = 0.027). Our results suggest that already temporary shifts of one's SSS have measureable effects on cardiovascular variables. They support the notion that social status plays a causal role in the development of cardiovascular disease. PMID:27486426

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luft, U. C.

1980-01-01

The reversible changes that take place in the cardiovascular system during weightlessness were investigated. Particular attention was given to the assessment of cardiovascular functions during and after space missions. One of the most important of these functions is the amount of blood pumped by the heart per min at rest and during exercise of gravitational stress.

The Association between Cardiovascular Disease and Cochlear Function in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torre, Peter, III; Cruickshanks, Karen J.; Klein, Barbara E.K.; Klein, Ronald; Nondahl, David M.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relation between self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cochlear function in older adults. The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) is an ongoing population-based study of hearing loss and its risk factors in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. As part of the EHLS questionnaire, participants were…

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase: An Ubiquitous Signaling Pathway With Key Roles in the Cardiovascular System.

PubMed

Salt, Ian P; Hardie, D Grahame

2017-05-26

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of cellular and whole-body energy homeostasis, which acts to restore energy homoeostasis whenever cellular energy charge is depleted. Over the last 2 decades, it has become apparent that AMPK regulates several other cellular functions and has specific roles in cardiovascular tissues, acting to regulate cardiac metabolism and contractile function, as well as promoting anticontractile, anti-inflammatory, and antiatherogenic actions in blood vessels. In this review, we discuss the role of AMPK in the cardiovascular system, including the molecular basis of mutations in AMPK that alter cardiac physiology and the proposed mechanisms by which AMPK regulates vascular function under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Possible contribution of chronobiology to cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Sato, Miho; Matsuo, Takahiro; Atmore, Henry; Akashi, Makoto

2013-01-01

The daily variations found in many aspects of physiology are collectively known as circadian rhythm (from "circa" meaning "about" and "dien" meaning "day"). Circadian oscillation in clock gene expression can generate quantitative or functional variations of the molecules directly involved in many physiological functions. This paper reviews the molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock, the transmission of circadian effects to cardiovascular functions, and the effects of circadian dysfunction on cardiovascular diseases. An evaluation of the operation of the internal clock is needed in clinical settings and will be an effective tool in the diagnosis of circadian rhythm disorders. Toward this end, we introduce a novel non-invasive method for assessing circadian time-regulation in human beings through the utilization of hair follicle cells.

Adolescent vulnerability to cardiovascular consequences of chronic social stress: Immediate and long-term effects of social isolation during adolescence.

PubMed

Cruz, Fábio C; Duarte, Josiane O; Leão, Rodrigo M; Hummel, Luiz F V; Planeta, Cleopatra S; Crestani, Carlos C

2016-01-01

It has been demonstrated that disruption of social bonds and perceived isolation (loneliness) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Adolescence is proposed as a period of vulnerability to stress. Nevertheless, the impact of chronic social stress during this ontogenic period in cardiovascular function is poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the impact in cardiovascular function of social isolation for 3 weeks in adolescent and adult male rats. Also, the long-term effects of social isolation during adolescence were investigated longitudinally. Social isolation reduced body weight in adolescent, but not in adult animals. Disruption of social bonds during adolescence increased arterial pressure without affecting heart rate and pulse pressure (PP). Nevertheless, social isolation in adulthood reduced systolic arterial pressure and increased diastolic arterial pressure, which in turn decreased PP without affecting mean arterial pressure. Cardiovascular changes in adolescents, but not adults, were followed by facilitation of both baroreflex sensitivity and vascular reactivity to the vasodilator agent acetylcholine. Vascular responsiveness to either the vasodilator agent sodium nitroprusside or the vasoconstrictor agent phenylephrine was not affected by social isolation. Except for the changes in body weight and baroreflex sensitivity, all alterations evoked by social isolation during adolescence were reversed in adulthood after moving animals from isolated to collective housing. These findings suggest a vulnerability of adolescents to the effects of chronic social isolation in cardiovascular function. However, results indicate minimal cardiovascular consequences in adulthood of disruption of social bonds during adolescence. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of high-fat diet and voluntary running on body weight and endothelial function in LDL receptor knockout mice.

PubMed

Langbein, Heike; Hofmann, Anja; Brunssen, Coy; Goettsch, Winfried; Morawietz, Henning

2015-05-01

Obesity and physical inactivity are important cardiovascular risk factors. Regular physical exercise has been shown to mediate beneficial effects in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. However, the impact of physical exercise on endothelial function in proatherosclerotic low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient (LDLR(-/-)) mice has not been studied so far. Six-week-old male LDLR(-/-) mice were fed a standard diet or a high-fat diet (39 kcal% fat diet) for 20 weeks. The impact of high-fat diet and voluntary running on body weight and amount of white adipose tissue was monitored. Basal tone and endothelial function was investigated in aortic rings using a Mulvany myograph. LDLR(-/-) mice on high-fat diet had increased cumulative food energy intake, but also higher physical activity compared to mice on control diet. Body weight and amount of visceral and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue of LDLR(-/-) mice were significantly increased by high-fat diet and partially reduced by voluntary running. Endothelial function in aortae of LDLR(-/-) mice was impaired after 20 weeks on standard and high-fat diet and could not be improved by voluntary running. Basal tone showed a trend to be increased by high-fat diet. Voluntary running reduced body weight and amount of white adipose tissue in LDLR(-/-) mice. Endothelial dysfunction in LDLR(-/-) mice could not be improved by voluntary running. In a clinical context, physical exercise alone might not have an influence on functional parameters and LDL-C levels in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. However, physical activity in these patients may be in general beneficial and should be performed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The benefits of ribose in cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Pauly, D F; Johnson, C; St Cyr, J A

2003-02-01

Cardiovascular disease still ranks as the leading cause of death in men and women. Adults have tried to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease by improving their diet, quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure and exercising regularly. Additionally, many adults have turned to nutriceutical or natural products. Myocardial ischemia, produces a depression in myocardial tissue levels of high energy compounds, along with a compromise in myocardial function. Ribose, a naturally occurring sugar, has been extensively investigated, both in animal and clinical studies, as an agent to enhance the recovery of these depressed energy compounds. Results of these studies have been promising in enhancing the recovery of these energy molecules along with an improvement in myocardial function. Therefore, ribose should be considered as a potential agent in the treatment of ischemic cardiovascular disease.

Redox-mediated signal transduction by cardiovascular Nox NADPH oxidases.

PubMed

Brandes, Ralf P; Weissmann, Norbert; Schröder, Katrin

2014-08-01

The only known function of the Nox family of NADPH oxidases is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some Nox enzymes show high tissue-specific expression and the ROS locally produced are required for synthesis of hormones or tissue components. In the cardiovascular system, Nox enzymes are low abundant and function as redox-modulators. By reacting with thiols, nitric oxide (NO) or trace metals, Nox-derived ROS elicit a plethora of cellular responses required for physiological growth factor signaling and the induction and adaptation to pathological processes. The interactions of Nox-derived ROS with signaling elements in the cardiovascular system are highly diverse and will be detailed in this article, which is part of a Special Issue entitled "Redox Signalling in the Cardiovascular System". Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical neurocardiology defining the value of neuroscience‐based cardiovascular therapeutics

PubMed Central

Ajijola, Olujimi A.; Anand, Inder; Armour, J. Andrew; Chen, Peng‐Sheng; Esler, Murray; De Ferrari, Gaetano M.; Fishbein, Michael C.; Goldberger, Jeffrey J.; Harper, Ronald M.; Joyner, Michael J.; Khalsa, Sahib S.; Kumar, Rajesh; Lane, Richard; Mahajan, Aman; Po, Sunny; Schwartz, Peter J.; Somers, Virend K.; Valderrabano, Miguel; Vaseghi, Marmar; Zipes, Douglas P.

2016-01-01

Abstract The autonomic nervous system regulates all aspects of normal cardiac function, and is recognized to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of many cardiovascular diseases. As such, the value of neuroscience‐based cardiovascular therapeutics is increasingly evident. This White Paper reviews the current state of understanding of human cardiac neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, pathophysiology in specific disease conditions, autonomic testing, risk stratification, and neuromodulatory strategies to mitigate the progression of cardiovascular diseases. PMID:27114333

[The relation between the low T3 syndrome in the clinical course of myocardial infarction and heart failure].

PubMed

Frączek, Magdalena Maria; Gackowski, Andrzej; Przybylik-Mazurek, Elwira; Nessler, Jadwiga

2016-06-01

It has been proven that either excess or deficiency of thyroid hormones has harmful influence on the cardiovascular system function. On the other hand, severe systemic conditions like myocardial infarction or severe heart failure may affect thyroid hormones secretion and their peripheral conversion, leading to low T3 syndrome. Amongst many mechanisms causing T4 to T3 conversion disturbances, important role plays decreased activity of D1 deiodinase and increased activity of D3 deiodinase. The animal research confirmed that thyroid hormones influence cardiomiocytes phenotype and morphology. They inhibit inflammation, apoptosis and cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction. It was also proven that free triiodothyronine similarly to brain natriuretic peptide predict long-term prognosis in chronic and acute heart failure patients. Potential influence of low T3 syndrome on the course of myocardial infarction and heart failure may have significant impact on the future research on individualization of myocardial infarction and heart failure treatment depending on patient's thyroid status. © 2016 MEDPRESS.

Twelve-Week Exercise Influences Memory Complaint but not Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Iuliano, Enzo; Fiorilli, Giovanni; Aquino, Giovanna; Di Costanzo, Alfonso; Calcagno, Giuseppe; di Cagno, Alessandra

2017-10-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of exercise on memory performance and memory complaint after a 12-week intervention. Eighty community-dwelling volunteers, aged 66.96 ± 11.73 years, were randomly divided into four groups: resistance, cardiovascular, postural, and control groups (20 participants for each group). All participants were tested for their cognitive functions before and after their respective 12-week intervention using Rey memory words test, Prose memory test, and Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q). Statistical analysis showed that the three experimental groups significantly improved MAC-Q scores in comparison with the control group (p < .05). The variation of MAC-Q scores and the variations of Rey and Prose memory tests scores were not correlated. These results indicate that the 12-week interventions exclusively influenced memory complaint but not memory performance. Further investigations are needed to understand the relation between memory complaint and memory performance, and the factors that can influence this relationship.

Effectiveness of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Rezende Barbosa, Marianne Penachini da Costa de; Oliveira, Vinicius Cunha; Silva, Anne Kastelianne França da; Pérez-Riera, Andrés Ricardo; Vanderlei, Luiz Carlos

2017-07-28

Functional training is a new training vision that was prepared from the gesture imitation of daily activities. Although your use has become popular in clinical practice, the influence of the several cardiorespiratory adjustments performed during the functional training in different populations and conditions is unknown. So, the aim of this systematic review was to gather information in the literature regarding the influence of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters. We conducted search strategies on MEDLINE, PEDro, EMBASE, SportDiscus and Cochrane to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) summarized the evidence. Five original studies were included. Effects favoured functional training on oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) at intermediate-term follow-up: weighted mean difference -1·0 (95% CI: 5·4-3·3), P = 0·642, and a small and not clinically important effect observed on VO 2 favouring control at intermediate-term follow-up (i.e. mean difference of 1·30 (95% CI 1·07-1·53), P<0·001). According to the GRADE system, there is very low quality evidence that functional training is better than other interventions to improve cardiovascular parameters. This result encourages new searches about the theme. © 2017 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The role of exercise in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Metsios, George S; Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou, Antonis; Kitas, George D

2015-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with significant functional impairment and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Along with pharmacological therapy, exercise seems to be a very promising intervention to improve disease-related outcomes, including functional ability and systemic manifestations, such as the increased cardiovascular risk. In this review, we discuss the physiological mechanisms by which exercise improves inflammation, cardiovascular risk and psychological health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and describe in detail how exercise can be incorporated in the management of this disease using real examples from our clinical practice.

Effect of tocopherol on atherosclerosis, vascular function, and inflammation in apolipoprotein E knockout mice with subtotal nephrectomy.

PubMed

Shing, Cecilia M; Fassett, Robert G; Peake, Jonathan M; Coombes, Jeff S

2014-12-01

Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction contribute to cardiovascular disease, prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Antioxidant supplements such as tocopherols may reduce inflammation and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of tocopherol supplementation on vascular function, aortic plaque formation, and inflammation in apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice with 5/6 nephrectomy as a model of combined cardiovascular and kidney disease. Nephrectomized mice were assigned to a normal chow diet group (normal chow), a group receiving 1000 mg/kg diet of α-tocopherol supplementation or a group receiving 1000 mg/kg diet mixed-tocopherol (60% γ-tocopherol). Following 12 weeks, in vitro aortic endothelial-independent relaxation was enhanced with both α-tocopherol and mixed-tocopherol (P < 0.05), while mixed-tocopherol enhanced aortic contraction at noradrenaline concentrations of 3 × 10(-7) M to 3 × 10(-5) M (P < 0.05), when compared to normal chow. Supplementation with α- and mixed-tocopherol reduced systemic concentrations of IL-6 (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) and IL-10 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively), while α-tocopherol also reduced MCP-1 (P < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (P < 0.05). Aortic sinus plaque area was significantly reduced with α-tocopherol supplementation when compared to normal chow (P < 0.01). Tocopherol supplementation favorably influenced vascular function and cytokine profile, while it was also effective in reducing atherosclerosis in the apolipoprotein E(-/-) mouse with CKD. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Autonomic and Renal Alterations in the Offspring of Sleep-Restricted Mothers During Late Pregnancy.

PubMed

Raimundo, Joyce R S; Bergamaschi, Cassia T; Campos, Ruy R; Palma, Beatriz D; Tufik, Sergio; Gomes, Guiomar N

2016-09-01

Considering that changes in the maternal environment may result in changes in progeny, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sleep restriction during the last week of pregnancy on renal function and autonomic responses in male descendants at an adult age. After confirmation of pregnancy, female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to either a control or a sleep restriction group. The sleep-restricted rats were subjected to sleep restriction using the multiple platforms method for over 20 hours per day between the 14th and 20th day of pregnancy. After delivery, the litters were limited to 6 offspring that were designated as offspring from control and offspring from sleep-restricted mothers. Indirect measurements of systolic blood pressure (BPi), renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate, glomerular area and number of glomeruli per field were evaluated at three months of age. Direct measurements of cardiovascular function (heart rate and mean arterial pressure), cardiac sympathetic tone, cardiac parasympathetic tone, and baroreflex sensitivity were evaluated at four months of age. The sleep-restricted offspring presented increases in BPi, glomerular filtration rate and glomerular area compared with the control offspring. The sleep-restricted offspring also showed higher basal heart rate, increased mean arterial pressure, increased sympathetic cardiac tone, decreased parasympathetic cardiac tone and reduced baroreflex sensitivity. Our data suggest that reductions in sleep during the last week of pregnancy lead to alterations in cardiovascular autonomic regulation and renal morpho-functional changes in offspring, triggering increases in blood pressure.

Vitamin B12 status of pregnant Indian women and cognitive function in their 9-year-old children

PubMed Central

Bhate, Vidya; Deshpande, Swapna; Bhat, Dattatray; Joshi, Niranjan; Ladkat, Rasika; Watve, Sujala; Fall, Caroline; de Jager, Celeste A.; Refsum, Helga; Yajnik, Chittaranjan

2009-01-01

Background Recent research has highlighted the influence of maternal factors on the health of the offspring. Intrauterine experiences may program metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychiatric disorders. We have shown that maternal vitamin B12 status affects adiposity and insulin resistance in the child. Vitamin B12 is important for brain development and function. Objective We investigated the relationship between maternal plasma vitamin B12 status during pregnancy and the child's cognitive function at 9 years of age. Methods We studied children born in the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study. Two groups of children were selected on the basis of maternal plasma vitamin B12 concentration at 28 weeks of gestation: group 1 (n = 49) included children of mothers with low plasma vitamin B12 (lowest decile, < 77 pM) and group 2 (n = 59) children of mothers with high plasma vitamin B12 (highest decile, > 224 pM). Results Children from group 1 performed more slowly than those from group 2 on the Color Trail A test (sustained attention, 182 vs. 159 seconds; p < .05) and the Digit Span Backward test (short-term memory, p <.05), after appropriate adjustment for confounders. There were no differences between group 1 and group 2 on other tests of cognitive function (intelligence, visual agnosia). Conclusions Maternal vitamin B12 status in pregnancy influences cognitive function in offspring. PMID:19227049

Impact of cancer and chemotherapy on autonomic nervous system function and cardiovascular reactivity in young adults with cancer: a case-controlled feasibility study.

PubMed

Adams, Scott C; Schondorf, Ronald; Benoit, Julie; Kilgour, Robert D

2015-05-18

Preliminary evidence suggests cancer- and chemotherapy-related autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction may contribute to the increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity- and mortality-risks in cancer survivors. However, the reliability of these findings may have been jeopardized by inconsistent participant screening and assessment methods. Therefore, good laboratory practices must be established before the presence and nature of cancer-related autonomic dysfunction can be characterized. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting concurrent ANS and cardiovascular evaluations in young adult cancer patients, according to the following criteria: i) identifying methodological pitfalls and proposing good laboratory practice criteria for ANS testing in cancer, and ii) providing initial physiologic evidence of autonomic perturbations in cancer patients using the composite autonomic scoring scale (CASS). Thirteen patients (mixed diagnoses) were assessed immediately before and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Their results were compared to 12 sex- and age-matched controls. ANS function was assessed using standardized tests of resting CV (tilt-table, respiratory sinus arrhythmia and Valsalva maneuver) and sudomotor (quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test) reactivity. Cardiovascular reactivity during exercise was assessed using a modified Astrand-Ryhming cycle ergometer protocol. Our feasibility criteria addressed: i) recruitment potential, ii) retention rates, iii) pre-chemotherapy assessment potential, iv) test performance/tolerability, and v) identification and minimizing the influence of potentially confounding medication. T-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess between- and within-group differences at baseline and follow-up. The overall success rate in achieving our feasibility criteria was 98.4 %. According to the CASS, there was evidence of ANS impairment at baseline in 30.8 % of patients, which persisted in 18.2 % of patients at follow-up, compared to 0 % of controls at baseline or follow-up. Results from our feasibility assessment suggest that the investigation of ANS function in young adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is possible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report CASS-based evidence of ANS impairment and sudomotor dysfunction in any cancer population. Moreover, we provide evidence of cancer- and chemotherapy-related parasympathetic dysfunction - as a possible contributor to the pathogenesis of CV disease in cancer survivors.

Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughson, Richard Lee; Shoemaker, Joel Kevin; Blaber, Andrew Philip; Arbeille, Philippe; Greaves, Danielle Kathleen

2008-01-01

Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS (CCISS) will study the effects of long-duration spaceflight on crew members' heart functions and their blood vessels that supply the brain. Learning more about the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems could lead to specific countermeasures that might better protect future space travelers. This experiment is collaborative with the Canadian Space Agency.

[Polycystic ovary syndrome: an example of obesity-related cardiovascular complication affecting young women].

PubMed

Orio, Francesco; Cascella, Teresa; Giallauria, Francesco; Palomba, Stefano; De Lorenzo, Anna; Lucci, Rosa; Ambrosino, Elena; Lombardi, Gaetano; Colao, Annamaria; Vigorito, Carlo

2006-03-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a good example of obesity-related cardiovascular complication affecting young women. PCOS is not only considered a reproductive problem but rather represents a complex endocrine, multifaceted syndrome with important health implications. Several evidences suggest an increased cardiovascular risk of cardiovascular disease associated with this syndrome, characterized by an impairment of heart structure and function, endothelial dysfunction and lipid abnormalities. All these features, probably linked to insulin-resistance, are often present in obese PCOS patients. Cardiovascular abnormalities represent important long-term sequelae of PCOS that need further investigations.

Imaging of cardiovascular dynamics in early mouse embryos with swept source optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larina, Irina V.; Liebling, Michael; Dickinson, Mary E.; Larin, Kirill V.

2009-02-01

Congenital cardiovascular defects are very common, occurring in 1% of live births, and cardiovascular failures are the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths in infants. To improve diagnostics, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular abnormalities, we need to understand not only how cells form the heart and vessels but also how physical factors such as heart contraction and blood flow influence heart development and changes in the circulatory network. Mouse models are an excellent resource for studying cardiovascular development and disease because of the resemblance to humans, rapid generation time, and availability of mutants with cardiovascular defects linked to human diseases. In this work, we present results on development and application of Doppler Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography (DSS-OCT) for imaging of cardiovascular dynamics and blood flow in the mouse embryonic heart and vessels. Our studies demonstrated that the spatial and temporal resolution of the DSS-OCT makes it possible to perform sensitive measurements of heart and vessel wall movements and to investigate how contractile waves facilitate the movement of blood through the circulatory system.

Modulation of PPAR-γ by Nutraceutics as Complementary Treatment for Obesity-Related Disorders and Inflammatory Diseases

PubMed Central

Ortuño Sahagún, D.; Márquez-Aguirre, A. L.; Quintero-Fabián, S.; López-Roa, R. I.; Rojas-Mayorquín, A. E.

2012-01-01

A direct correlation between adequate nutrition and health is a universally accepted truth. The Western lifestyle, with a high intake of simple sugars, saturated fat, and physical inactivity, promotes pathologic conditions. The main adverse consequences range from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome to several cancers. Dietary components influence tissue homeostasis in multiple ways and many different functional foods have been associated with various health benefits when consumed. Natural products are an important and promising source for drug discovery. Many anti-inflammatory natural products activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR); therefore, compounds that activate or modulate PPAR-gamma (PPAR-γ) may help to fight all of these pathological conditions. Consequently, the discovery and optimization of novel PPAR-γ agonists and modulators that would display reduced side effects is of great interest. In this paper, we present some of the main naturally derived products studied that exert an influence on metabolism through the activation or modulation of PPAR-γ, and we also present PPAR-γ-related diseases that can be complementarily treated with nutraceutics from functional foods. PMID:23251142

Aerobic exercise and other healthy lifestyle factors that influence vascular aging.

PubMed

Santos-Parker, Jessica R; LaRocca, Thomas J; Seals, Douglas R

2014-12-01

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death in the United States and other modern societies. Advancing age is the major risk factor for CVD, primarily due to stiffening of the large elastic arteries and the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction. In contrast, regular aerobic exercise protects against the development of large elastic artery stiffness and vascular endothelial dysfunction with advancing age. Moreover, aerobic exercise interventions reduce arterial stiffness and restore vascular endothelial function in previously sedentary middle-aged/older adults. Aerobic exercise exerts its beneficial effects on arterial function by modulating structural proteins, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and restoring nitric oxide bioavailability. Aerobic exercise may also promote "resistance" against factors that reduce vascular function and increase CVD risk with age. Preventing excessive increases in abdominal adiposity, following healthy dietary practices, maintaining a low CVD risk factor profile, and, possibly, selective use of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals also play a major role in preserving vascular function with aging. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

Aerobic exercise and other healthy lifestyle factors that influence vascular aging

PubMed Central

Santos-Parker, Jessica R.; LaRocca, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death in the United States and other modern societies. Advancing age is the major risk factor for CVD, primarily due to stiffening of the large elastic arteries and the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction. In contrast, regular aerobic exercise protects against the development of large elastic artery stiffness and vascular endothelial dysfunction with advancing age. Moreover, aerobic exercise interventions reduce arterial stiffness and restore vascular endothelial function in previously sedentary middle-aged/older adults. Aerobic exercise exerts its beneficial effects on arterial function by modulating structural proteins, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and restoring nitric oxide bioavailability. Aerobic exercise may also promote “resistance” against factors that reduce vascular function and increase CVD risk with age. Preventing excessive increases in abdominal adiposity, following healthy dietary practices, maintaining a low CVD risk factor profile, and, possibly, selective use of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals also play a major role in preserving vascular function with aging. PMID:25434012

The circulating non-coding RNA landscape for biomarker research: lessons and prospects from cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

St Ecedil Pień, Ewa; Costa, Marina C; Kurc, Szczepan; Drożdż, Anna; Cortez-Dias, Nuno; Enguita, Francisco J

2018-06-07

Pervasive transcription of the human genome is responsible for the production of a myriad of non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs) some of them with regulatory functions. The pivotal role of ncRNAs in cardiovascular biology has been unveiled in the last decade, starting from the characterization of the involvement of micro-RNAs in cardiovascular development and function, and followed by the use of circulating ncRNAs as biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases. The human non-coding secretome is composed by several RNA species that circulate in body fluids and could be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and outcome prediction. In cardiovascular diseases, secreted ncRNAs have been described as biomarkers of several conditions including myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, and atrial fibrillation. Among circulating ncRNAs, micro-RNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proposed as biomarkers in different cardiovascular diseases. In comparison with standard biomarkers, the biochemical nature of ncRNAs offers better stability and flexible storage conditions of the samples, and increased sensitivity and specificity. In this review we describe the current trends and future prospects of the use of the ncRNA secretome components as biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, including the opening questions related with their secretion mechanisms and regulatory actions.

Functional food addressing heart health: do we have to target the gut microbiota?

PubMed

Ryan, Paul M; Ross, Reynolds Paul; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Caplice, Noel M; Stanton, Catherine

2015-11-01

Health promoting functional food ingredients for cardiovascular health are generally aimed at modulating lipid metabolism in consumers. However, significant advances have furthered our understanding of the mechanisms involved in development, progression, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In parallel, a central role of the gut microbiota, both in accelerating and attenuating cardiovascular disease, has emerged. Modulation of the gut microbiota, by use of prebiotics and probiotics, has recently shown promise in cardiovascular disease prevention. Certain prebiotics can promote a short chain fatty acid profile that alters hormone secretion and attenuates cholesterol synthesis, whereas bile salt hydrolase and exopolysaccharide-producing probiotics have been shown to actively correct hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, specific microbial genera have been identified as potential cardiovascular disease risk factors. This effect is attributed to the ability of certain members of the gut microbiota to convert dietary quaternary amines to trimethylamine, the primary substrate of the putatively atherosclerosis-promoting compound trimethylamine-N-oxide. In this respect, current research is indicating trimethylamine-depleting Achaea - termed Archeabiotics as a potential novel dietary strategy for promoting heart health. The microbiota offers a modifiable target, which has the potential to progress or prevent cardiovascular disease development. Whereas host-targeted interventions remain the standard, current research implicates microbiota-mediated therapies as an effective means of modulating cardiovascular health.

Red Blood Cell Function and Dysfunction: Redox Regulation, Nitric Oxide Metabolism, Anemia

PubMed Central

Kuhn, Viktoria; Diederich, Lukas; Keller, T.C. Stevenson; Kramer, Christian M.; Lückstädt, Wiebke; Panknin, Christina; Suvorava, Tatsiana; Isakson, Brant E.; Kelm, Malte

2017-01-01

Abstract Significance: Recent clinical evidence identified anemia to be correlated with severe complications of cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as bleeding, thromboembolic events, stroke, hypertension, arrhythmias, and inflammation, particularly in elderly patients. The underlying mechanisms of these complications are largely unidentified. Recent Advances: Previously, red blood cells (RBCs) were considered exclusively as transporters of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. More recent experimental evidence indicates that RBCs are important interorgan communication systems with additional functions, including participation in control of systemic nitric oxide metabolism, redox regulation, blood rheology, and viscosity. In this article, we aim to revise and discuss the potential impact of these noncanonical functions of RBCs and their dysfunction in the cardiovascular system and in anemia. Critical Issues: The mechanistic links between changes of RBC functional properties and cardiovascular complications related to anemia have not been untangled so far. Future Directions: To allow a better understanding of the complications associated with anemia in CVD, basic and translational science studies should be focused on identifying the role of noncanonical functions of RBCs in the cardiovascular system and on defining intrinsic and/or systemic dysfunction of RBCs in anemia and its relationship to CVD both in animal models and clinical settings. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 718–742. PMID:27889956

Improvement of Processing Speed in Executive Function Immediately following an Increase in Cardiovascular Activity.

PubMed

Tam, Nicoladie D

2013-01-01

This study aims to identify the acute effects of physical exercise on specific cognitive functions immediately following an increase in cardiovascular activity. Stair-climbing exercise is used to increase the cardiovascular output of human subjects. The color-naming Stroop Test was used to identify the cognitive improvements in executive function with respect to processing speed and error rate. The study compared the Stroop results before and immediately after exercise and before and after nonexercise, as a control. The results show that there is a significant increase in processing speed and a reduction in errors immediately after less than 30 min of aerobic exercise. The improvements are greater for the incongruent than for the congruent color tests. This suggests that physical exercise induces a better performance in a task that requires resolving conflict (or interference) than a task that does not. There is no significant improvement for the nonexercise control trials. This demonstrates that an increase in cardiovascular activity has significant acute effects on improving the executive function that requires conflict resolution (for the incongruent color tests) immediately following aerobic exercise more than similar executive functions that do not require conflict resolution or involve the attention-inhibition process (for the congruent color tests).

How are tonic and phasic cardiovascular changes related to central motor command?

PubMed

Jennings, J R; van der Molen, M W; Brock, K; Somsen, R J

1993-07-01

We examined the influence of central motor command on heart rate, respiration, and peripheral vascular activity. Central command was enhanced or reduced using tendon vibration. Muscle tension was held constant permitting the examination of variation in central command. Experiment 1 demonstrated in 13 college-aged males an enhancement of heart rate and vascular responses to an isometric, extensor contraction when vibration of the flexor tendon was added. Experiment 2 asked whether changes in central command interacted with phasic cardiovascular changes such as stimulus-linked anticipatory cardiac deceleration. Twenty college-aged males performed either an isometric flexor or extensor contraction with or without flexor tendon vibration. As expected, vibration enhanced cardiovascular change with extensor contraction more than with flexor contraction. Relative to control contractions, however, the flexor change was not an absolute decrease in cardiovascular change. More importantly, tendon vibration failed to alter phasic cardiovascular changes. Force and central commands for force induce cardiovascular change, but this change seems independent of phasic changes induced by the anticipation and processing of environmental stimuli.

The Periconceptional Environment and Cardiovascular Disease: Does In Vitro Embryo Culture and Transfer Influence Cardiovascular Development and Health?

PubMed Central

Padhee, Monalisa; Zhang, Song; Lie, Shervi; Wang, Kimberley C.; Botting, Kimberley J.; McMillen, I. Caroline; MacLaughlin, Severence M.; Morrison, Janna L.

2015-01-01

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) have revolutionised reproductive medicine; however, reports assessing the effects of ARTs have raised concerns about the immediate and long-term health outcomes of the children conceived through ARTs. ARTs include manipulations during the periconceptional period, which coincides with an environmentally sensitive period of gamete/embryo development and as such may alter cardiovascular development and health of the offspring in postnatal life. In order to identify the association between ARTs and cardiovascular health outcomes, it is important to understand the events that occur during the periconceptional period and how they are affected by procedures involved in ARTs. This review will highlight the emerging evidence implicating adverse cardiovascular outcomes before and after birth in offspring conceived through ARTs in both human and animal studies. In addition, it will identify the potential underlying causes and molecular mechanisms responsible for the congenital and adult cardiovascular dysfunctions in offspring whom were conceived through ARTs. PMID:25699984

Cardiovascular benefits of probiotics: a review of experimental and clinical studies.

PubMed

Thushara, Ram Mohan; Gangadaran, Surendiran; Solati, Zahra; Moghadasian, Mohammed H

2016-02-01

The microbiota inhabiting the human gastro-intestinal tract is reported to have a significant impact on the health of an individual. Recent findings suggest that the microbial imbalance of the gut may play a role in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Therefore, several studies have delved into the aspect of altering gut microbiota with probiotics as an approach to prevent and/or treat CVD. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, have a positive influence on the individual's health. The present review focuses on strategies of human dietary intervention with probiotic strains and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors like hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity and type-2 diabetes. Accumulating evidence shows probiotics to lower low density lipoproteins (LDL)-cholesterol and improve the LDL/high density lipoproteins (HDL) ratio, as well as lower blood pressure, inflammatory mediators, blood glucose levels and body mass index. Thus, probiotics have the scope to be developed as dietary supplements with potential cardiovascular health benefits. However, there is not only ambiguity regarding the exact strains and dosages of the probiotics that will bring about positive health effects, but also factors like immunity and genetics of the individual that might influence the efficacy of probiotics. Therefore, further studies are required not only to understand the mechanisms by which probiotics may beneficially affect the cardiovascular system, but also to rule out any of their probable negative effects on health. The present review aims to critically appraise the complexity of the available data with regard to the cardiovascular benefits of probiotics.

Abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension: contribution of neural factors.

PubMed

Mitchell, Jere H

2017-06-01

During both dynamic (e.g., endurance) and static (e.g., strength) exercise there are exaggerated cardiovascular responses in hypertension. This includes greater increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and efferent sympathetic nerve activity than in normal controls. Two of the known neural factors that contribute to this abnormal cardiovascular response are the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and functional sympatholysis. The EPR originates in contracting skeletal muscle and reflexly increases sympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart and blood vessels as well as decreases parasympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart. These changes in autonomic nerve activity cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular contractility, and vasoconstriction in the arterial tree. However, arterial vessels in the contracting skeletal muscle have a markedly diminished vasoconstrictor response. The markedly diminished vasoconstriction in contracting skeletal muscle has been termed functional sympatholysis. It has been shown in hypertension that there is an enhanced EPR, including both its mechanoreflex and metaboreflex components, and an impaired functional sympatholysis. These conditions set up a positive feedback or vicious cycle situation that causes a progressively greater decrease in the blood flow to the exercising muscle. Thus these two neural mechanisms contribute significantly to the abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. In addition, exercise training in hypertension decreases the enhanced EPR, including both mechanoreflex and metaboreflex function, and improves the impaired functional sympatholysis. These two changes, caused by exercise training, improve the muscle blood flow to exercising muscle and cause a more normal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The relationship between regular sports participation and vigilance in male and female adolescents.

PubMed

Ballester, Rafael; Huertas, Florentino; Yuste, Francisco Javier; Llorens, Francesc; Sanabria, Daniel

2015-01-01

The present study investigated the relationship between regular sport participation (soccer) and vigilance performance. Two groups of male and female adolescents differentiated in terms of their sport participation (athletes, n = 39, and non-athletes, n = 36) took part in the study. In one session, participants performed the Leger Multi-stage fitness test to estimate their aerobic fitness level. In the other session, participants completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to evaluate their vigilance performance. Perceived arousal prior to the task and motivation toward the task were also measured in the PVT session. The results revealed that athletes had better cardiovascular fitness and showed better performance in the PVT. However, correlation analyses did not show any significant relationship between cardiovascular fitness and performance in the PVT. Athletes showed larger scores in motivation and perceived arousal measures with respect to non-athletes, although, once again, these variables were not correlated with PVT performance. Gender differences were observed only in the Leger test, with males showing greater fitness level than females. The major outcome of this research points to a positive relationship between regular sport participation and vigilance during adolescence. This relationship did not seem to be influenced by gender, perceived arousal, motivation toward the task or cardiovascular fitness. We discuss our results in terms of the different hypotheses put forward in the literature to explain the relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning.

The role of red blood cell deformability and Na,K-ATPase function in selected risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in humans: focus on hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia.

PubMed

Radosinska, J; Vrbjar, N

2016-09-19

Deformability of red blood cells (RBC) is the ability of RBC to change their shape in order to pass through narrow capillaries in circulation. Deterioration in deformability of RBC contributes to alterations in microcirculatory blood flow and delivery of oxygen to tissues. Several factors are responsible for maintenance of RBC deformability. One of them is the Na,K-ATPase known as crucial enzyme in maintenance of intracellular ionic homeostasis affecting thus regulation of cellular volume and consequently RBC deformability. Decreased deformability of RBC has been found to be the marker of adverse outcomes in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors influences rheological properties of the blood. This review summarizes knowledge concerning the RBC deformability in connection with selected risk factors of CVD, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, based exclusively on papers from human studies. We attempted to provide an update on important issues regarding the role of Na,K-ATPase in RBC deformability. In patients suffering from hypertension as well as diabetes mellitus the Na,K-ATPase appears to be responsible for the changes leading to alterations in RBC deformability. The triggering factor for changes of RBC deformability during hypercholesterolemia seems to be the increased content of cholesterol in erythrocyte membranes.

Some data about the relationship between ths human state and external perturbations of geomagnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrova, S.; Stoilova, I.; Yanev, T.

The influence of solar activity changes and related to them geomagnetic field variations on human health is confirmed in a lot of publications but the investigations in this area are still sporadic and incomplete because of the fact that it is difficult to separate the geomagnetic influence from the environmental factor complex, which influence the human life activity. That is why we have studied the influence of changes in geomagnetic activity on human physiological, psycho-physiological parameters and behavioural reactions. In this article we looked for influence of changes in GMA on the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse-rate. We examined 54 volunteers. 26 persons of them had some cardio-vascular or blood pressure disturbances. The registrations were performed every day at one and the same time for each person during the period 1.10 - 10.11.2001. Four-way analysis of variance (MANOVA method) with factors: GMA, day, sex and cardiovascular pathology was performed. GMA was divided into four levels according to the Kp- and Ap-index values. The days examined were divided into six levels in relation to the day with increased GMA. Factor "cardiovascular pathology" was divided into two levels: healthy subjects and subjects that had some cardio -vascular or blood pressure disturbances. When we employed four-way analysis of variance, the influence of some of the factors on the physiological parameters examined turned out to be statistically significant at p<0.05. Our investigations indicate that most of the persons examined irrespectively to their status could be sensitive to the geomagnetic disturbances.

The effects of Ramadan fasting on endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Yousefi, B; Faghfoori, Z; Samadi, N; Karami, H; Ahmadi, Y; Badalzadeh, R; Shafiei-Irannejad, V; Majidinia, M; Ghavimi, H; Jabbarpour, M

2014-07-01

Endothelial dysfunction, which can be manifested by loss of nitric oxide bioavailability, is an increasingly recognized cause of cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies showed that diets affect endothelial function and modify cardiovascular risks. This study aimed to assess the effects of Ramadan fasting, as a diet intervention, on endothelial function. The study population consisted of 21 male patients (mean age: 52±9 years) with cardiovascular risks (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial diseases). The biochemical variables in serum of patients were measured 2 days before and after Ramadan fasting. The levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nitric oxide (NO) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by the Griess and thiobarbituric acid reaction substances assay, respectively. NO levels in patients after Ramadan fasting were significantly higher compared with the baseline value (85.1±11.54 vs 75.8±10.7 μmol/l) (P<0.05). Post-Ramadan levels of ADMA decreased significantly in comparison with pre-Ramadan levels (802.6±60.9 vs 837.6±51.0 nmol/l) (P<0.05). In addition, the levels of VEGF and MDA changed during Ramadan fasting, but these changes were not statistically significant (228.1±27.1 vs 222.7±22.9 pg/ml and 3.2±0.7 vs 3.6±1.1 μmol/l, respectively). Ramadan fasting may have beneficial effects on endothelial function and can modulate cardiovascular risks. Further studies are needed to confirm the clinical significance of Ramadan fasting on cardiovascular health.

Mitochondrial DNA damage and vascular function in patients with diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Fetterman, Jessica L; Holbrook, Monica; Westbrook, David G; Brown, Jamelle A; Feeley, Kyle P; Bretón-Romero, Rosa; Linder, Erika A; Berk, Brittany D; Weisbrod, Robert M; Widlansky, Michael E; Gokce, Noyan; Ballinger, Scott W; Hamburg, Naomi M

2016-03-31

Prior studies demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction with increased reactive oxygen species generation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in diabetes mellitus. Oxidative stress-mediated damage to mitochondrial DNA promotes atherosclerosis in animal models. Thus, we evaluated the relation of mitochondrial DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells s with vascular function in patients with diabetes mellitus and with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We assessed non-invasive vascular function and mitochondrial DNA damage in 275 patients (age 57 ± 9 years, 60 % women) with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease alone (N = 55), diabetes mellitus alone (N = 74), combined atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus (N = 48), and controls age >45 without diabetes mellitus or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (N = 98). Mitochondrial DNA damage measured by quantitative PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was higher with clinical atherosclerosis alone (0.55 ± 0.65), diabetes mellitus alone (0.65 ± 1.0), and combined clinical atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus (0.89 ± 1.32) as compared to control subjects (0.23 ± 0.64, P < 0.0001). In multivariable models adjusting for age, sex, and relevant cardiovascular risk factors, clinical atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus remained associated with higher mitochondrial DNA damage levels (β = 0.14 ± 0.13, P = 0.04 and β = 0.21 ± 0.13, P = 0.002, respectively). Higher mitochondrial DNA damage was associated with higher baseline pulse amplitude, a measure of arterial pulsatility, but not with flow-mediated dilation or hyperemic response, measures of vasodilator function. We found greater mitochondrial DNA damage in patients with diabetes mellitus and clinical atherosclerosis. The association of mitochondrial DNA damage and baseline pulse amplitude may suggest a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive small artery pulsatility with potentially adverse microvascular impact.

Psychosocial Work Characteristics Predict Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Health Functioning in Rural Women: The Wisconsin Rural Women's Health Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chikani, Vatsal; Reding, Douglas; Gunderson, Paul; McCarty, Catherine A.

2005-01-01

Background: The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between psychosocial work characteristics and health functioning and cardiovascular disease risk factors among rural women of central Wisconsin and compare psychosocial work characteristics between farm and nonfarm women. Methods: Stratified sampling was used to select a…

Teaching the Interrelationship between Stress, Emotions, and Cardiovascular Risk Using a Classic Paper by Walter Cannon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gwirtz, Patricia A.

2008-01-01

Classroom discussion of the classic article by Walter B. Cannon in 1914, entitled "The emergency function of the adrenal medulla in pain and the major emotions," is an excellent tool to teach graduate students the interaction between stress, emotions, and cardiovascular function. Using this article, we are able to review important early research…

Influence of Exposure Error and Effect Modification by Socioeconomic Status on the Association of Acute Cardiovascular Mortality with Particulate Matter in Phoenix

EPA Science Inventory

Using ZIP code-level mortality data, the association of cardiovascular mortality with PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5,measured at a central monitoring site, was determined for three populations at different distances from the monitoring site but with similar numbers of d...

Effects of changing heart rate on electrophysiological and hemodynamic function in the dog.

PubMed

Hamlin, Robert L; Nakayama, Tomohiro; Nakayama, Hitomi; Carnes, Cynthia A

2003-03-14

Cardiovascular parameters were measured in dogs after RR interval was changed from 0.25 s to 1.2 s with atropine and graded doses of zatebradine, an I(f)-channel blocker. Left ventricular (LV) pre-ejection period (PEP), systemic vascular resistance, tau (an estimate of myocardial stiffness), PQ, QTc, dLVP/dt(max) and dLVP/dt(min), aortic pressure, and right atrial pressure did not change when each parameter was plotted against RR interval (r(2)'s < or = 0.5). LV end-diastolic pressure, stroke volume index, LV ejection time (ET), and QT all increased either linearly or curvilinearly as RR interval prolonged. Cardiac output index and PEP/ET decreased curvilinearly. When heart rate (HR) was fixed by pacing, and graded doses of zatebradine were given, changes in cardiovascular function were minimal. Thus zatebradine affects cardiovascular function principally by changing HR and not by affecting function directly. This study provides data on the effects of changing HR, alone, on cardiovascular parameters measured frequently during pharmacological and toxicological studies. It should prove useful when physiological variables, including HR, change, and there is need to know what change in HR, alone, contributes.

In vivo functional photoacoustic microscopy of cutaneous microvasculature in human skin.

PubMed

Favazza, Christopher P; Cornelius, Lynn A; Wang, Lihong V

2011-02-01

Microcirculation is an important component of the cardiovascular system and can be used to assess systemic cardiovascular health. Numerous studies have investigated cutaneous microcirculation as an indicator of cardiovascular related diseases. Such research has shown promising results; however, there are many limitations regarding the employed measurement techniques, such as poor depth and spatial resolution and measurement versatility. Here we show the results of functional cutaneous microvascular experiments measured with photoacoustic microscopy, which provides high spatial resolution and multiparameter measurements. In a set of experiments, microvascular networks located in the palms of volunteers were perturbed by periodic ischemic events, and the subsequent hemodynamic response to the stimulus was recorded. Results indicate that during periods of arterial occlusion, the relative oxygen saturation of the capillary vessels decreased below resting levels, and temporarily increased above resting levels immediately following the occlusion. Furthermore, a hyperemic reaction to the occlusions was measured, and the observation agreed well with similar measurements using more conventional imaging techniques. Due to its exceptional capability to functionally image vascular networks with high spatial resolution, photoacoustic microscopy could be a beneficial biomedical tool to assess microvascular functioning and applied to patients with diseases that affect cardiovascular health. © 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Cardiovascular function is better in veteran football players than age-matched untrained elderly healthy men.

PubMed

Schmidt, J F; Andersen, T R; Andersen, L J; Randers, M B; Hornstrup, T; Hansen, P R; Bangsbo, J; Krustrup, P

2015-02-01

The aim of the study was to determine whether lifelong football training may improve cardiovascular function, physical fitness, and body composition. Our subjects were 17 male veteran football players (VPG; 68.1 ± 2.1 years) and 26 healthy age-matched untrained men who served as a control group (CG; 68.2 ± 3.2 years). Examinations included measurements of cardiac function, microvascular endothelial function [reactive hyperemic index (RHI)], maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), and body composition. In VPG, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume was 20% larger (P < 0.01) and LV ejection fraction was higher (P < 0.001). Tissue Doppler imaging revealed an augmented LV longitudinal displacement, i.e., LV shortening of 21% (P < 0.001) and longitudinal 2D strain was 12% higher (P < 0.05), in VPG. In VPG, resting heart rate was lower (6 bpm, P < 0.05), and VO2max was higher (18%, P < 0.05). In addition, RHI was 21% higher (P < 0.05) in VPG. VPG also had lower body mass index (P < 0.05), body fat percentage, total body fat mass, android fat percentage, and gynoid fat percentage (all P < 0.01). Lifelong participation in football training is associated with better LV systolic function, physical fitness, microvascular function, and a healthier body composition. Overall, VPG have better cardiovascular function compared with CG, which may reduce their cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reproductive health experiences of women with cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Chor, Julie; Oswald, Lora; Briller, Joan; Cowett, Allison; Peacock, Nadine; Harwood, Bryna

2012-11-01

Limited research exists exploring contraceptive and pregnancy experiences of women with cardiovascular diseases. We conducted semistructured interviews with reproductive-age women with chronic hypertension or peripartum cardiomyopathy exploring thoughts and behaviors regarding future fertility. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed identifying salient themes. We interviewed 20 women with chronic hypertension and 10 women with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Women described a spectrum of perspectives regarding the relationship between disease and fertility: from complete disconnect to full integration of diagnosis and future fertility plans. Integration of reproductive and cardiovascular health was influenced by and reflected in circumstances of diagnosis, pregnancy-related experiences, contraception-related experiences and conceptualization of disease risk related to reproductive health. Providers must better understand how women perceive and consider their reproductive and cardiovascular health in order to optimize contraceptive care of women with cardiovascular disease and help them make safe, informed decisions about future fertility. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived health, life satisfaction, and cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Korean immigrants and elderly Koreans.

PubMed

Sin, Mo-Kyung; Chae, Young-Ran; Choe, Myoung-Ae; Murphy, Patrick; Kim, Jeungim; Jeon, Mi-Yang

2011-03-01

Acknowledging that changes in sociocultural environment influence health status, the purpose of this study was to compare perceived health, life satisfaction, and cardiovascular health in elderly Korean immigrants and elderly Koreans. In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 88 elderly Korean immigrants and 295 elderly Koreans 65 and older were recruited from Korean communities in the United States and Korea. Respondents' perceived health was measured by self-assessment; life satisfaction was self-assessed using a dichotomous scale of general satisfaction with life; and cardiovascular health status was surveyed by self-report of major diagnosed cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus) and body mass index measurement for obesity. Despite having better perceived health and life satisfaction, elderly Korean immigrants also had higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. The findings provide health care providers with useful information for effective health assessment of minority immigrants. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Subclinical hypothyroidism, lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Delitala, Alessandro P; Fanciulli, Giuseppe; Maioli, Margherita; Delitala, Giuseppe

2017-03-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined by elevated serum thyrotropin in presence of normal free thyroid hormones. Lipid metabolism is influenced by thyroid hormone and many reports showed that lipids status worsen along with TSH level. Subclinical hypothyroidism has been also linked to other cardiovascular risk factors such as alteration in blood pressure and increased atherosclerosis. Further evidences suggested that mild dysfunction of thyroid gland is associated with metabolic syndrome and heart failure. Thyrotropin level seems the best predictor of cardiovascular disease, in particular when its levels are above 10mU/L. However, despite these observations, there is no clear evidence that levothyroxine therapy in subjects with milder form of subclinical hypothyroidism could improve lipid status and the other cardiovascular risk factors. In this review, we address the effect of thyroid hormone and cardiovascular risk, with a focus on lipid metabolism. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Central hypothyroidism and its role for cardiovascular risk factors in hypopituitary patients.

PubMed

Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla; Klose, Marianne

2016-10-01

Hypothyroidism is characterized by hypometabolism, and may be seen as a part of secondary failure due to pituitary insufficiency or tertiary due to hypothalamic disease. Secondary and tertiary failures are also referred to as central hypothyroidism. Whereas overt primary hypothyroidism has a well-known affection on the heart and cardiovascular system, and may result in cardiac failure, cardiovascular affection is less well recognized in central hypothyroidism. Studies on central hypothyroidism and cardiovascular outcome are few and given the rarity of the diseases often small. Further, there are several limitations given vast difficulties in diagnosing the condition correctly biochemically, and difficulties monitoring the treatment because normal thyroid-pituitary feedback interrelationships are disrupted. The present review summarizes available studies of central adult hypothyroidism and its possible influence on the cardiovascular system, describe differences from primary thyroid failure and seek evidence for performing guidelines for clinical management of this particular thyroid and hypothalamo-pituitary disorder.

Seaweeds as Preventive Agents for Cardiovascular Diseases: From Nutrients to Functional Foods

PubMed Central

Cardoso, Susana M.; Pereira, Olívia R.; Seca, Ana M. L.; Pinto, Diana C. G. A.; Silva, Artur M. S.

2015-01-01

Being naturally enriched in key nutrients and in various health-promoting compounds, seaweeds represent promising candidates for the design of functional foods. Soluble dietary fibers, peptides, phlorotannins, lipids and minerals are macroalgae’s major compounds that can hold potential in high-value food products derived from macroalgae, including those directed to the cardiovascular-health promotion. This manuscript revises available reported data focusing the role of diet supplementation of macroalgae, or extracts enriched in bioactive compounds from macroalgae origin, in targeting modifiable markers of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), like dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, hypertension, hypercoagulability and activation of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems, among others. At last, the review also describes several products that have been formulated with the use of whole macroalgae or extracts, along with their claimed cardiovascular-associated benefits. PMID:26569268

Mast cells as effectors in atherosclerosis

PubMed Central

Bot, Ilze; Shi, Guo-Ping; Kovanen, Petri T.

2014-01-01

The mast cell is a potent immune cell known for its functions in host defense responses and diseases such as asthma and allergies. In the past years, accumulating evidence established the contribution of the mast cell to cardiovascular diseases as well, in particular by its effects on atherosclerotic plaque progression and destabilization. Through its release of mediators, such as the mast cell-specific proteases chymase and tryptase, but also of growth factors, histamine and chemokines, activated mast cells can have detrimental effects on its immediate surroundings in the vessel wall. This results in matrix degradation, apoptosis and enhanced recruitment of inflammatory cells, thereby actively contributing to cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge on mast cell function in cardiovascular diseases and speculate on potential novel therapeutic strategies to prevent acute cardiovascular syndromes via targeting of mast cells. PMID:25104798

Psoriasis-associated vascular disease: the role of HDL.

PubMed

Paiva-Lopes, Maria Joao; Delgado Alves, José

2017-09-14

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease with a prevalence of 2-3%. Overwhelming evidence show an epidemiological association between psoriasis, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in patients with severe psoriasis. Several cardiovascular disease classical risk factors are also increased in psoriasis but the psoriasis-associated risk persists after adjusting for other risk factors.Investigation has focused on finding explanations for these epidemiological data. Several studies have demonstrated significant lipid metabolism and HDL composition and function alterations in psoriatic patients. Altered HDL function is clearly one of the mechanisms involved, as these particles are of the utmost importance in atherosclerosis defense. Recent data indicate that biologic therapy can reverse both structural and functional HDL alterations in psoriasis, reinforcing their therapeutic potential.

Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

PubMed Central

Zhao, Cai-Ning; Meng, Xiao; Li, Ya; Li, Sha; Liu, Qing; Tang, Guo-Yi; Li, Hua-Bin

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading global health problems. Accumulating epidemiological studies have indicated that consuming fruits was inversely related to the risk of CVDs. Moreover, substantial experimental studies have supported the protective role of fruits against CVDs, and several fruits (grape, blueberry, pomegranate, apple, hawthorn, and avocado) have been widely studied and have shown potent cardiovascular protective action. Fruits can prevent CVDs or facilitate the restoration of morphology and functions of heart and vessels after injury. The involved mechanisms included protecting vascular endothelial function, regulating lipids metabolism, modulating blood pressure, inhibiting platelets function, alleviating ischemia/reperfusion injury, suppressing thrombosis, reducing oxidative stress, and attenuating inflammation. The present review summarizes recent discoveries about the effects of fruits on CVDs and discusses potential mechanisms of actions based on evidence from epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies. PMID:28608832

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase – A Ubiquitous Signalling Pathway with Key Roles in the Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Salt, Ian P.; Hardie, D. Grahame

2017-01-01

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of cellular and whole body energy homeostasis, which acts to restore energy homoeostasis whenever cellular energy charge is depleted. Over the last two decades, it has become apparent that AMPK regulates a number of other cellular functions and has specific roles in cardiovascular tissues, acting to regulate cardiac metabolism and contractile function as well as promoting anti-contractile, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic actions in blood vessels. In this review, we will discuss the role of AMPK in the cardiovascular system, including the molecular basis of mutations in AMPK that alter cardiac physiology and the proposed mechanisms by which AMPK regulates vascular function under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. PMID:28546359

Central autonomic network mediates cardiovascular responses to acute inflammation: Relevance to increased cardiovascular risk in depression?

PubMed Central

Harrison, Neil A.; Cooper, Ella; Voon, Valerie; Miles, Ken; Critchley, Hugo D.

2013-01-01

Inflammation is a risk factor for both depression and cardiovascular disease. Depressed mood is also a cardiovascular risk factor. To date, research into mechanisms through which inflammation impacts cardiovascular health rarely takes into account central effects on autonomic cardiovascular control, instead emphasizing direct effects of peripheral inflammatory responses on endothelial reactivity and myocardial function. However, brain responses to inflammation engage neural systems for motivational and homeostatic control and are expressed through depressed mood state and changes in autonomic cardiovascular regulation. Here we combined an inflammatory challenge, known to evoke an acute reduction in mood, with neuroimaging to identify the functional brain substrates underlying potentially detrimental changes in autonomic cardiovascular control. We first demonstrated that alterations in the balance of low to high frequency (LF/HF) changes in heart rate variability (a measure of baroreflex sensitivity) could account for some of the inflammation-evoked changes in diastolic blood pressure, indicating a central (rather than solely local endothelial) origin. Accompanying alterations in regional brain metabolism (measured using 18FDG-PET) were analysed to localise central mechanisms of inflammation-induced changes in cardiovascular state: three discrete regions previously implicated in stressor-evoked blood pressure reactivity, the dorsal anterior and posterior cingulate and pons, strongly mediated the relationship between inflammation and blood pressure. Moreover, activity changes within each region predicted the inflammation-induced shift in LF/HF balance. These data are consistent with a centrally-driven component originating within brain areas supporting stressor evoked blood pressure reactivity. Together our findings highlight mechanisms binding psychological and physiological well-being and their perturbation by peripheral inflammation. PMID:23416033

Cardiovascular risk profile in patients with myelopathy associated with HTLV-1.

PubMed

Prado, Fabio Luís Silva do; Prado, Renata; Ladeia, Ana Marice Teixeira

HAM/TSP (HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis) is a slowly progressive disease, characterized by a chronic spastic paraparesis. It is not known if the disease carries an independent risk for cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk profile related to HAM/TSP and compare it with the general population. This was a cross-sectional study, with a control group. HAM/TSP patients were evaluated using cardiovascular risk scores (ASCVD RISK, SCORE and Framingham) and inflammatory markers (ultrasensitive CRP and IL-6), and compared with a control group of healthy individuals. We also evaluated the correlation between cardiovascular risk and the functional status of patients with HAM/TSP evaluated by the FIM scale. Eighty percent of patients in this study were females, mean age of 51 years (11.3). The control group showed an increased cardiovascular event risk in 10 years when ASCVD was analyzed (cardiovascular risk ≥7.5% in 10 years seen in 43% of patients in the control group vs. 23% of patients with HAM/TSP; p=0.037). There was no difference in ultrasensitive CRP or IL-6 values between the groups, even when groups were stratified into low and high risk. There was no correlation between the functional status of HAM/TSP patients and the cardiovascular risk. In this study, the cardiovascular risk profile of patients with HAM/TSP was better than the risk of the control group. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Exercise on Cardiovascular Biomarkers: New Insights, Recent Data, and Applications.

PubMed

Che, Lin; Li, Dong

2017-01-01

The benefit of regular exercise or physical activity with appropriate intensity on improving cardiopulmonary function and endurance has long been accepted with less controversy. The challenge remains, however, quantitatively evaluate the effect of exercise on cardiovascular health due in part to the amount and intensity of exercise varies widely plus lack of effective, robust and efficient biomarker evaluation systems. Better evaluating the overall function of biomarker and validate biomarkers utility in cardiovascular health should improve the evidence regarding the benefit or the effect of exercise or physical activity on cardiovascular health, in turn increasing the efficiency of the biomarker on individuals with mild to moderate cardiovascular risk. In this review, beyond traditional cytokines, chemokines and inflammatory factors, we systemic reviewed the latest novel biomarkers in metabolomics, genomics, proteomics, and molecular imaging mainly focus on heart health, as well as cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. Furthermore, we highlight the state-of-the-art biomarker developing techniques and its application in the field of heart health. Finally, we discuss the clinical relevance of physical activity and exercise on key biomarkers in molecular basis and practical considerations.

Is There an Association Between Markers of Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction at Discharge From Rehabilitation and Participation 1 and 5 Years Later in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury?

PubMed

Rianne Ravensbergen, H J; de Groot, Sonja; Post, Marcel W; Bongers-Janssen, Helma M; van der Woude, Lucas H; Claydon, Victoria E

2016-09-01

To determine whether physical activity and participation 1 and 5 years after discharge are associated with measures of cardiovascular autonomic function: prevalence of hypotension and reduced peak heart rate at discharge from initial inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Prospective cohort study. Rehabilitation centers. Individuals with SCI (N=146). Not applicable. We recorded markers of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (resting blood pressure and peak heart rate) and personal and lesion characteristics at the time of discharge from rehabilitation. Parameters for participation (social health status dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile) and physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities [PASIPD]) were measured 1 and 5 years after discharge. Effects of prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction were analyzed using linear regression analysis while correcting for possible confounders. We found no significant association between hypotension and social health status dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile or PASIPD, either at 1 or at 5 years after discharge. A significant association between peak heart rate and social health status dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile was found at 1 year after discharge, showing poorer participation in individuals with low peak heart rate (ie, cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction). The unadjusted relation between peak heart rate and the social health status dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile was significant at 5 years, but not when adjusted for confounders. We found associations between peak heart rate and PASIPD for both 1 and 5 years after discharge; however, these were not significant after correction for potential confounding factors. Autonomic dysfunction after SCI is a crucial factor influencing quality of life. We found that cardiovascular autonomic impairment, assessed from low peak heart rate, was associated with reduced participation after 1 year. The results suggest that peak heart rate at discharge from rehabilitation after SCI should be used to identify those needing additional support to facilitate physical activity and participation after discharge. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations of mental health with cardiovascular risk phenotypes and adiposity in adolescence: A cross-sectional community-based study.

PubMed

Lycett, Kate; McNamara, Clare; Mensah, Fiona K; Burgner, David; Kerr, Jessica A; Muller, Josh; Wake, Melissa

2018-06-01

Cardiovascular disease and mental illness commonly co-occur in later life, but it is unknown how early these associations arise. We aimed to determine the extent to which: (i) childhood mental health is associated with functional and structural cardiovascular risk phenotypes and adiposity in late childhood/adolescence, and (ii) associations between mental health and cardiovascular phenotypes may be explained by differential body mass index. This cross-sectional study drew on three longitudinal community-based cohort studies (two enriched for overweight/obesity) in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, with harmonized follow-up in 2014. Mental health exposures included emotional and behavioural problems (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire) and psychosocial health and general well-being (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)), which were assessed by self- and parent-proxy report. Cardiovascular risk phenotypes and adiposity measures included mean arterial pressure, pulse wave velocity, carotid artery intima-media thickness, retinal arterioleto-venule ratio, waist circumference, % body fat, and BMI z-score. We used multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex and neighbourhood disadvantage, to examine associations. Of the 364 participants (mean age 14.7, standard deviation 2.0, years), 30% were overweight and 16% obese. All adiposity indicators were positively associated with higher behavioural/emotional problems and poorer psychosocial health and negatively associated with better ratings of positive general well-being, as reported by parents and children (all P ≤ 0.03). However, there was little evidence that cardiovascular functional or structural phenotypes varied by mental health. By late childhood/adolescence, mental health is strongly associated with adiposity but not with cardiovascular structure or function. This suggests that the known relationship between these constructs may not develop until early or mid-adulthood. © 2018 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Cardiovascular function in term fetal sheep conceived, gestated and studied in the hypobaric hypoxia of the Andean altiplano.

PubMed

Herrera, Emilio A; Rojas, Rodrigo T; Krause, Bernardo J; Ebensperger, Germán; Reyes, Roberto V; Giussani, Dino A; Parer, Julian T; Llanos, Aníbal J

2016-03-01

High-altitude hypoxia causes intrauterine growth restriction and cardiovascular programming. However, adult humans and animals that have evolved at altitude show certain protection against the effects of chronic hypoxia. Whether the highland fetus shows similar protection against high altitude gestation is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that high-altitude fetal sheep have evolved cardiovascular compensatory mechanisms to withstand chronic hypoxia that are different from lowland sheep. We studied seven high-altitude (HA; 3600 m) and eight low-altitude (LA; 520 m) pregnant sheep at ∼90% gestation. Pregnant ewes and fetuses were instrumented for cardiovascular investigation. A three-period experimental protocol was performed in vivo: 30 min of basal, 1 h of acute superimposed hypoxia (∼10% O2) and 30 min of recovery. Further, we determined ex vivo fetal cerebral and femoral arterial function. HA pregnancy led to chronic fetal hypoxia, growth restriction and altered cardiovascular function. During acute superimposed hypoxia, LA fetuses redistributed blood flow favouring the brain, heart and adrenals, whereas HA fetuses showed a blunted cardiovascular response. Importantly, HA fetuses have a marked reduction in umbilical blood flow versus LA. Isolated cerebral arteries from HA fetuses showed a higher contractile capacity but a diminished response to catecholamines. In contrast, femoral arteries from HA fetuses showed decreased contractile capacity and increased adrenergic contractility. The blunting of the cardiovascular responses to hypoxia in fetuses raised in the Alto Andino may indicate a change in control strategy triggered by chronic hypoxia, switching towards compensatory mechanisms that are more cost-effective in terms of oxygen uptake. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

The Physiological/Pathophysiological Significance of Vitamin D in Cancer, Cardiovascular Disorders and Beyond.

PubMed

AlMatar, Manaf; AlMandeal, Husam; Makky, Essam A; Kayar, Begum; Yarar, Emel; Var, Isıl; Koksal, Fatih

2017-01-01

Vitamin D, a molecular precursor of the potent steroid hormone calcitriol, has crucial functions and roles in physiology and pathophysiology. Tellingly, calcitriol has been shown to regulate various cellular signalling networks and cascades that have crucial role in cancer biology and diagnostics. Mounting lines of evidences from previous clinical and preclinical investigations indicate that the deficiency of vitamin D may contribute to the carcinogenesis risk. Concomitantly, recent reports suggested that significant reduction in the cancer occurrence and progression is more likely to appear after vitamin D supplementation. Furthermore, a pivotal role functioned by vitamin D in cardiovascular physiology indicates that the deficiency of vitamin D is significantly correlated with enhanced prevalence of stroke, hypertension and myocardial infarction. Notably, vitamin D status is more likely to be used as a lifestyle biomarker, since poor and unhealthy lifestyles are correlated with the deficiency of vitamin D, a feature which may result in cardiovascular complications. Moreover, recent reports revealed that the effect of vitamin D is to cover not only cardiovascular system but also skeletal system. Herein, we are highlighting the recent knowledge of vitamin D roles and functions with respect to pathophysiological disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and debate the potential avails of vitamin D on slowing cancer, cardiovascular disease and RA progression. The findings of this review confirm that the importance of vitamin D metabolites or analogues which can provide a helpful platform to target some kinds of cancer, particularly when used in combination with existing therapies. Moreover, the correlation between vitamin D deficiencies with cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression might suggest a pivotal role of vitamin D in either initiation or progression of these diseases. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Testing of neuroendocrine function in astronauts as related to fluid shifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauseng-Fellegger, G.; König, E. M.; Hinghofer-Szalkay, H.; Jezová, D.; Vigas, M.

We addressed the question of optimal conditions for neuroendocrine and cardiovascular testing in astronauts. We tested stress reactions during LBNP of ≤-50 mm Hg. There was a mild transient elevation of plasma GH concentration and a nonsignificant rise of plasma ACTH, while PRL, insulin and glucose remained unchanged. Aldosterone was decreased 5 and 10 min after beginning of LBNP, thereafter rose significantly, and displayed a further significant concentration increase 5 min post-LBNP. The endocrine and cardiovascular responses to submaximal exercise were tested at 8.00 am and 8.00 pm. Exercise-induced changes of heart rate and blood pressure remained unchanged with daytime whereas plasma concentrations of epinephrine, GH and PRL in response to work load were significantly higher in the evening than in the morning. As expected, basal resting values of plasma cortisol were significantly lower in the evening than in the morning but were similar one hour after cessation of exercise. Our findings demonstrate the importance of frequent sampling in case of transient physiological phenomena, and contribute to existing knowledge on circadian influences upon neuroendocrine stress responses.

Innate immunity in renal transplantation: the role of mannose-binding lectin.

PubMed

Ibernon, Meritxell; Moreso, Francesc; Serón, Daniel

2014-01-01

Innate immune system plays an important role in the modulation of the inflammatory response during infection and tissue injury/repair. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a component of the innate immune system that activates complement via the lectin pathway. Different polymorphisms of the MBL gene are associated with MBL levels and MBL function. The relationship between MBL and disease is rather complex because MBL behaves as a double-edged sword. In the general population, low serum MBL levels are associated with higher risk of infection, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune and cardiovascular disease. However, in patients with diabetes or autoimmune disease, high MBL levels are associated with more severe renal and cardiovascular comorbidities. In renal transplantation, low MBL serum levels constitute a risk factor for infection, low grade inflammation, new onset diabetes after transplantation and subclinical rejection. Despite these associations suggest that low MBL levels should be associated with poorer renal allograft outcome, epidemiological studies evaluating the predictive value of MBL levels on graft survival are controversial. Taken together, these observations suggest that low MBL serum levels modulate chronic inflammatory response that may influence transplant outcome. © 2013.

The Endocannabinoid System and Plant-Derived Cannabinoids in Diabetes and Diabetic Complications

PubMed Central

Horváth, Béla; Mukhopadhyay, Partha; Haskó, György; Pacher, Pál

2012-01-01

Oxidative stress and inflammation play critical roles in the development of diabetes and its complications. Recent studies provided compelling evidence that the newly discovered lipid signaling system (ie, the endocannabinoid system) may significantly influence reactive oxygen species production, inflammation, and subsequent tissue injury, in addition to its well-known metabolic effects and functions. The modulation of the activity of this system holds tremendous therapeutic potential in a wide range of diseases, ranging from cancer, pain, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases to obesity and metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and diabetic complications. This review focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid system in primary diabetes and its effects on various diabetic complications, such as diabetic cardiovascular dysfunction, nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy, particularly highlighting the mechanisms beyond the metabolic consequences of the activation of the endocannabinoid system. The therapeutic potential of targeting the endocannabinoid system and certain plant-derived cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, which are devoid of psychotropic effects and possess potent anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant properties, in diabetes and diabetic complications is also discussed. PMID:22155112

[Mathematical modeling for conditionality of cardiovascular disease by housing conditions].

PubMed

Meshkov, N A

2014-01-01

There was studied the influence of living conditions (housing area per capita, availability of housing water supply, sewerage and central heating) on the morbidity of the cardiovascular diseases in child and adult population. With the method of regression analysis the morbidity rate was established to significantly decrease with the increase in the area of housing, constructed models are statistically significant, respectively, p = 0.01 and p = 0.02. There was revealed the relationship of the morbidity rate of cardiovascular diseases in children and adults with the supply with housing central heating (p = 0.02 and p = 0.009).

Morbidity of Cushing's Syndrome and Impact of Treatment.

PubMed

Webb, Susan M; Valassi, Elena

2018-06-01

Cortisol excess in Cushing's syndrome is associated with metabolic, cardiovascular, and cognitive alterations, only partially reversible after resolution of hypercortisolism. Elevated cardiovascular risk may persist after eucortisolism has been achieved. Fractures and low bone mineral density are also described in Cushing's syndrome in remission. Hypercortisolism may induce irreversible structural and functional changes in the brain, leading to neuropsychiatric disorders in the active phase of the disease, which persist. Sustained deterioration of the cardiovascular system, bone remodeling, and cognitive function along with neuropsychological impairment are associated with high morbidity and poor quality of life before and after remission. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sirtuins in the Cardiovascular System: Potential Targets in Pediatric Cardiology.

PubMed

Ianni, Alessandro; Yuan, Xuejun; Bober, Eva; Braun, Thomas

2018-06-01

Cardiovascular diseases represent a major cause of death and morbidity. Cardiac and vascular pathologies develop predominantly in the aged population in part due to lifelong exposure to numerous risk factors but are also found in children and during adolescence. In comparison to adults, much has to be learned about the molecular pathways driving cardiovascular diseases in the pediatric population. Sirtuins are highly conserved enzymes that play pivotal roles in ensuring cardiac homeostasis under physiological and stress conditions. In this review, we discuss novel findings about the biological functions of these molecules in the cardiovascular system and their possible involvement in pediatric cardiovascular diseases.

Functional Task Test: Data Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cromwell, Ronita

2014-01-01

After space flight there are changes in multiple physiological systems including: Cardiovascular function; Sensorimotor function; and Muscle function. How do changes in these physiological system impact astronaut functional performance?

Determinants of cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases in Central and Eastern Europe: Rationale and design of the HAPIEE study

PubMed Central

Peasey, Anne; Bobak, Martin; Kubinova, Ruzena; Malyutina, Sofia; Pajak, Andrzej; Tamosiunas, Abdonas; Pikhart, Hynek; Nicholson, Amanda; Marmot, Michael

2006-01-01

Background Over the last five decades, a wide gap in mortality opened between western and eastern Europe; this gap increased further after the dramatic fluctuations in mortality in the former Soviet Union (FSU) in the 1990s. Recent rapid increases in mortality among lower socioeconomic groups in eastern Europe suggests that socioeconomic factors are powerful determinants of mortality in these populations but the more proximal factors linking the social conditions with health remain unclear. The HAPIEE (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) study is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of classical and non-conventional risk factors and social and psychosocial factors on cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases in eastern Europe and the FSU. The main hypotheses of the HAPIEE study relate to the role of alcohol, nutrition and psychosocial factors. Methods and design The HAPIEE study comprises four cohorts in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania; each consists of a random sample of men and women aged 45–69 years old at baseline, stratified by gender and 5 year age groups, and selected from population registers. The total planned sample size is 36,500 individuals. Baseline information from the Czech Republic, Russia and Poland was collected in 2002–2005 and includes data on health, lifestyle, diet (food frequency), socioeconomic circumstances and psychosocial factors. A short examination included measurement of anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, lung function and cognitive function, and a fasting venous blood sample. Re-examination of the cohorts in 2006–2008 focuses on healthy ageing and economic well-being using face-to-face computer assisted personal interviews. Recruitment of the Lithuanian cohort is ongoing, with baseline and re-examination data being collected simultaneously. All cohorts are being followed up for mortality and non-fatal cardiovascular events. Discussion The HAPIEE study will provide important new insights into social, behavioural and biological factors influencing mortality and cardiovascular risk in the region. PMID:17049075

Phosphatidylserine in atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Darabi, Maryam; Kontush, Anatol

2016-08-01

It is now widely acknowledged that phosphatidylserine is a multifunctional bioactive lipid. In this review, we focus on the function of phosphatidylserine in modulating cholesterol metabolism, influencing inflammatory response and regulating coagulation system, and discuss promising phosphatidylserine-based therapeutic approaches and detection techniques in atherosclerosis. Phosphatidylserine has been suggested to play important roles in physiological processes, such as apoptosis, inflammation, and coagulation. Recent data demonstrate atheroprotective potential of phosphatidylserine, reflecting its capacity to inhibit inflammation, modulate coagulation, and enhance HDL functionality. Furthermore, modern lipidomic approaches have enabled the investigation of phosphatidylserine properties relevant to the lipid-based drug delivery and development of reconstituted HDL. Studies of phosphatidylserine in relation to atherosclerosis represent an area of opportunity. Additional research elucidating mechanisms underlying experimentally observed atheroprotective effects of phosphatidylserine is required to fully explore therapeutic potential of this naturally occurring phospholipid in cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease biomarkers on cognitive function in older adults: Joint effects of cardiovascular disease biomarkers and cognitive function on mortality risk.

PubMed

Loprinzi, Paul D; Crush, Elizabeth; Joyner, Chelsea

2017-01-01

Previous research demonstrates an inverse association between age and cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers with cognitive function; however, little is known about the combined associations of CVD risk factors and cognitive function with all-cause mortality in an older adult population, which was the purpose of this study. Data from the 1999-2002 NHANES were used (N=2,097; 60+yrs), with mortality follow-up through 2011. Evaluated individual biomarkers included mean arterial pressure (MAP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), A1C, and measured body mass index (BMI). Cognitive function was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Further, 4 groups were created based on CVD risk and cognitive function. Group 1: high cognitive function and low CVD risk; Group 2: high cognitive function and high CVD risk; Group 3: low cognitive function and low CVD risk; Group 4: low cognitive function and high CVD risk. An inverse relationship was observed where those with more CVD risk factors had a lower (worse) cognitive function score. Compared to those in Group 1, only those in Group 3 and 4 had an increase mortality risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender/Sex as a Social Determinant of Cardiovascular Risk.

PubMed

O'Neil, Adrienne; Scovelle, Anna J; Milner, Allison J; Kavanagh, Anne

2018-02-20

The social gradient for cardiovascular disease (CVD) onset and outcomes is well established. The American Heart Association's Social Determinants of Risk and Outcomes of Cardiovascular Disease Scientific Statement advocates looking beyond breakthroughs in biological science toward a social determinants approach that focuses on socioeconomic position, race and ethnicity, social support, culture and access to medical care, and residential environments to curb the burden of CVD going forward. Indeed, the benefits of this approach are likely to be far reaching, enhancing the positive effects of advances in CVD related to prevention and treatment while reducing health inequities that contribute to CVD onset and outcomes. It is disappointing that the role of gender has been largely neglected despite being a critical determinant of cardiovascular health. It is clear that trajectories and outcomes of CVD differ by biological sex, yet the tendency for sex and gender to be conflated has contributed to the idea that both are constant or fixed with little room for intervention. Rather, as distinct from biological sex, gender is socially produced. Overlaid on biological sex, gender is a broad term that shapes and interacts with one's cognition to guide norms, roles, behaviors, and social relations. It is a fluid construct that varies across time, place, and life stage. Gender can interact with biological sex and, indeed, other social determinants, such as ethnicity and socioeconomic position, to shape cardiovascular health from conception, through early life when health behaviors and risk factors are shaped, into adolescence and adulthood. This article will illustrate how gender shapes the early adoption of health behaviors in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood by focusing on physical activity, drinking, and smoking behaviors (including the influence of role modeling). We will also discuss the role of gender in psychosocial stress with a focus on trauma from life events (childhood assault and intimate partner violence) and work, home, and financial stresses. We conclude by exploring potential biological pathways, with a focus on autonomic functioning, which may underpin gender as a social determinant of cardiovascular health. Finally, we discuss implications for cardiovascular treatment and awareness campaigns and consider whether gender equality strategies could reduce the burden of CVD for men and women at the population level. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Sex and the Cardiovascular System: The Intriguing Tale of How Women and Men Regulate Cardiovascular Function Differently

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huxley, Virginia H.

2007-01-01

The ability to recognize and appreciate from a reproductive standpoint that males and females possess different attributes has been long standing. Only more recently have we begun to look more deeply into both the similarities and differences between men and women, as well as between boys and girls, with respect to the structure and function of…

Lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy and vascular function: Role of the nitric oxide-phosphodiesterase type 5-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate pathway.

PubMed

Higashi, Yukihito

2017-06-01

It is well known that there is an association of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy with cardiovascular disease, suggesting that lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Vascular function, including endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle function, is involved in the pathogenesis, maintenance and development of atherosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular events. Vascular dysfunction per se should also contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy. Both lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy and vascular dysfunction have cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, aging, obesity and smoking. Inactivation of the phosphodiesterase type 5-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate-nitric oxide pathway causes lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy through an enhancement of sympathetic nervous activity, endothelial dysfunction, increase in Rho-associated kinase activity and vasoconstriction, and decrease in blood flow of pelvic viscera. Both endogenous nitric oxide and exogenous nitric oxide act as vasodilators on vascular smooth muscle cells through an increase in the content of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate, which is inactivated by phosphodiesterase type 5. In a clinical setting, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are widely used in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors might have beneficial effects on vascular function through not only inhibition of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate degradation, but also increases in testosterone levels and nitric oxide bioavailability, increase in the number and improvement of the function of endothelial progenitor cells, and decrease in insulin resistance. In the present review, the relationships between lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy, the phosphodiesterase type 5-nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate pathway, vascular function and cardiovascular outcomes are examined. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Endurance capacity is not correlated with endothelial function in male university students.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Zeng, Xian-bo; Yao, Feng-juan; Wu, Fang; Su, Chen; Fan, Zhen-guo; Zhu, Zhu; Tao, Jun; Huang, Yi-jun

2014-01-01

Endurance capacity, assessed by 1000-meter (1000 m) run of male university students, is an indicator of cardiovascular fitness in Chinese students physical fitness surveillance. Although cardiovascular fitness is related to endothelial function closely in patients with cardiovascular diseases, it remains unclear whether endurance capacity correlates with endothelial function, especially with circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs), a new sensitive marker of endothelial dysfunction in young students. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between endurance capacity and endothelial function in male university students. Forty-seven healthy male university students (mean age, 20.1 ± 0.6 years; mean height, 172.4 ± 6.3 cm; and mean weight, 60.0 ± 8.2 kg) were recruited in this study. The measurement procedure of 1000 m run time was followed to Chinese national students Constitutional Health Criterion. Endothelium function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in the brachial artery measured by ultrasonic imaging, and the level of circulating EMPs was measured by flow cytometry. Cardiovascular fitness indicator--maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)--was also measured on a cycle ergometer using a portable gas analyzer. 1000 m run time was correlated with VO2max (r  =  -0.399, p<0.05). However, there were no correlations between VO2max and FMD or levels of circulating CD31+/CD42- microparticles. Similarly, no correlations were found between 1000 m run time and FMD, and levels of circulating CD31+/CD42- microparticles in these male university students (p>0.05). The correlations between endurance capacity or cardiovascular fitness and endothelial function were not found in healthy Chinese male university students. These results suggest that endurance capacity may not reflect endothelial function in healthy young adults with well preserved FMD and low level of circulating CD31+/CD42-EMPs.

Endurance Capacity Is Not Correlated with Endothelial Function in Male University Students

PubMed Central

Wu, Fang; Su, Chen; Fan, Zhen-guo; Zhu, Zhu; Tao, Jun; Huang, Yi-jun

2014-01-01

Background Endurance capacity, assessed by 1000-meter (1000 m) run of male university students, is an indicator of cardiovascular fitness in Chinese students physical fitness surveillance. Although cardiovascular fitness is related to endothelial function closely in patients with cardiovascular diseases, it remains unclear whether endurance capacity correlates with endothelial function, especially with circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs), a new sensitive marker of endothelial dysfunction in young students. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between endurance capacity and endothelial function in male university students. Methods Forty-seven healthy male university students (mean age, 20.1±0.6 years; mean height, 172.4±6.3 cm; and mean weight, 60.0±8.2 kg) were recruited in this study. The measurement procedure of 1000 m run time was followed to Chinese national students Constitutional Health Criterion. Endothelium function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in the brachial artery measured by ultrasonic imaging, and the level of circulating EMPs was measured by flow cytometry. Cardiovascular fitness indicator - maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) - was also measured on a cycle ergometer using a portable gas analyzer. Results 1000 m run time was correlated with VO2max (r = −0.399, p<0.05). However, there were no correlations between VO2max and FMD or levels of circulating CD31+/CD42- microparticles. Similarly, no correlations were found between 1000 m run time and FMD, and levels of circulating CD31+/CD42- microparticles in these male university students (p>0.05). Conclusion The correlations between endurance capacity or cardiovascular fitness and endothelial function were not found in healthy Chinese male university students. These results suggest that endurance capacity may not reflect endothelial function in healthy young adults with well preserved FMD and low level of circulating CD31+/CD42-EMPs. PMID:25101975

Maternal exposure to cadmium during gestation perturbs the vascular system of the adult rat offspring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronco, Ana Maria, E-mail: amronco@inta.cl; Montenegro, Marcela; Castillo, Paula

2011-03-01

Several cardiovascular diseases (CVD) observed in adulthood have been associated with environmental influences during fetal growth. Here, we show that maternal exposure to cadmium, a ubiquitously distributed heavy metal and main component of cigarette smoke is able to induce cardiovascular morpho-functional changes in the offspring at adult age. Heart morphology and vascular reactivity were evaluated in the adult offspring of rats exposed to 30 ppm of cadmium during pregnancy. Echocardiographic examination shows altered heart morphology characterized by a concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Also, we observed a reduced endothelium-dependent reactivity in isolated aortic rings of adult offspring, while endothelium-independent reactivity remainedmore » unaltered. These effects were associated with an increase of hem-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression in the aortas of adult offspring. The expression of HO-1 was higher in females than males, a finding likely related to the sex-dependent expression of the vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), which was lower in the adult female. All these long-term consequences were observed along with normal birth weights and absence of detectable levels of cadmium in fetal and adult tissues of the offspring. In placental tissues however, cadmium levels were detected and correlated with increased NF-{kappa}B expression - a transcription factor sensitive to inflammation and oxidative stress - suggesting a placentary mechanism that affect genes related to the development of the cardiovascular system. Our results provide, for the first time, direct experimental evidence supporting that exposure to cadmium during pregnancy reprograms cardiovascular development of the offspring which in turn may conduce to a long term increased risk of CVD.« less

ALDOSTERONE DYSREGULATION WITH AGING PREDICTS RENAL-VASCULAR FUNCTION AND CARDIO-VASCULAR RISK

PubMed Central

Brown, Jenifer M.; Underwood, Patricia C.; Ferri, Claudio; Hopkins, Paul N.; Williams, Gordon H.; Adler, Gail K.; Vaidya, Anand

2014-01-01

Aging and abnormal aldosterone regulation are both associated with vascular disease. We hypothesized that aldosterone dysregulation influences the age-related risk of renal- and cardio-vascular disease. We conducted an analysis of 562 subjects who underwent detailed investigations under conditions of liberal and restricted dietary sodium intake (1,124 visits) in a Clinical Research Center. Aldosterone regulation was characterized by the ratio of maximal suppression-to-stimulation (supine serum aldosterone on a liberal sodium diet divided by the same measure on a restricted sodium diet). We previously demonstrated that higher levels of this Sodium-modulated Aldosterone Suppression-Stimulation Index (SASSI) indicate greater aldosterone dysregulation. Renal plasma flow (RPF) was determined via p-aminohippurate clearance to assess basal renal hemodynamics, and the renal-vascular responses to dietary sodium manipulation and angiotensin II (AngII) infusion. Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the Framingham Risk Score. In univariate linear regression, older age (β= -4.60, p<0.0001) and higher SASSI (β= -58.63, p=0.001) predicted lower RPF and a blunted RPF response to sodium loading and AngII infusion. We observed a continuous, independent, multivariate-adjusted interaction between age and SASSI, where the inverse relationship between SASSI and RPF was most apparent with older age (p<0.05). Higher SASSI and lower RPF independently predicted higher Framingham Risk Score (p<0.0001) and together displayed an additive effect. Aldosterone regulation and age may interact to mediate renal-vascular disease. Our findings suggest that the combination of aldosterone dysregulation and renal-vascular dysfunction could additively increase the risk of future cardiovascular outcomes; therefore, aldosterone dysregulation may represent a modifiable mechanism of age-related vascular disease. PMID:24664291

Aldosterone dysregulation with aging predicts renal vascular function and cardiovascular risk.

PubMed

Brown, Jenifer M; Underwood, Patricia C; Ferri, Claudio; Hopkins, Paul N; Williams, Gordon H; Adler, Gail K; Vaidya, Anand

2014-06-01

Aging and abnormal aldosterone regulation are both associated with vascular disease. We hypothesized that aldosterone dysregulation influences the age-related risk of renal vascular and cardiovascular disease. We conducted an analysis of 562 subjects who underwent detailed investigations under conditions of liberal and restricted dietary sodium intake (1124 visits) in the General Clinical Research Center. Aldosterone regulation was characterized by the ratio of maximal suppression to stimulation (supine serum aldosterone on a liberal sodium diet divided by the same measure on a restricted sodium diet). We previously demonstrated that higher levels of this Sodium-modulated Aldosterone Suppression-Stimulation Index (SASSI) indicate greater aldosterone dysregulation. Renal plasma flow (RPF) was determined via p-aminohippurate clearance to assess basal renal hemodynamics and the renal vascular responses to dietary sodium manipulation and angiotensin II infusion. Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the Framingham Risk Score. In univariate linear regression, older age (β=-4.60; P<0.0001) and higher SASSI (β=-58.63; P=0.001) predicted lower RPF and a blunted RPF response to sodium loading and angiotensin II infusion. We observed a continuous, independent, multivariate-adjusted interaction between age and SASSI, where the inverse relationship between SASSI and RPF was most apparent with older age (P<0.05). Higher SASSI and lower RPF independently predicted higher Framingham Risk Score (P<0.0001) and together displayed an additive effect. Aldosterone regulation and age may interact to mediate renal vascular disease. Our findings suggest that the combination of aldosterone dysregulation and renal vascular dysfunction could additively increase the risk of future cardiovascular outcomes; therefore, aldosterone dysregulation may represent a modifiable mechanism of age-related vascular disease.

Dietary fruits and vegetables and cardiovascular diseases risk.

PubMed

Alissa, Eman M; Ferns, Gordon A

2017-06-13

Diet is likely to be an important determinant of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In this article, we will review the evidence linking the consumption of fruit and vegetables and CVD risk. The initial evidence that fruit and vegetable consumption has a protective effect against CVD came from observational studies. However, uncertainty remains about the magnitude of the benefit of fruit and vegetable intake on the occurrence of CVD and whether the optimal intake is five portions or greater. Results from randomized controlled trials do not show conclusively that fruit and vegetable intake protects against CVD, in part because the dietary interventions have been of limited intensity to enable optimal analysis of their putative effects. The protective mechanisms of fruit and vegetables may not only include some of the known bioactive nutrient effects dependent on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and electrolyte properties, but also include their functional properties, such as low glycemic load and energy density. Taken together, the totality of the evidence accumulated so far does appear to support the notion that increased intake of fruits and vegetables may reduce cardiovascular risk. It is clear that fruit and vegetables should be eaten as part of a balanced diet, as a source of vitamins, fiber, minerals, and phytochemicals. The evidence now suggests that a complicated set of several nutrients may interact with genetic factors to influence CVD risk. Therefore, it may be more important to focus on whole foods and dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients to successfully impact on CVD risk reduction. A clearer understanding of the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cardiovascular risk would provide health professionals with significant information in terms of public health and clinical practice.

Frequency of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Brazilian HIV-Infected Patients.

PubMed

Salmazo, Péricles Sidnei; Bazan, Silméia Garcia Zanati; Shiraishi, Flávio Gobbis; Bazan, Rodrigo; Okoshi, Katashi; Hueb, João Carlos

2018-04-09

AIDS as well as atherosclerosis are important public health problems. The longer survival among HIV-infected is associated with increased number of cardiovascular events in this population, and this association is not fully understood. To identify the frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients compared to control subjects; to analyze associations between atherosclerosis and clinical and laboratory variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and the Framingham coronary heart disease risk score (FCRS). Prospective cross-sectional case-control study assessing the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in 264 HIV-infected patients and 279 controls. Clinical evaluation included ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries, arterial stiffness by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), laboratory analysis of peripheral blood, and cardiovascular risk according to FCRS criteria. The significance level adopted in the statistical analysis was p < 0.05. Plaques were found in 37% of the HIV group and 4% of controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, carotid intima-media thickness was higher in the HIV group than in controls (p < 0.001). Patients with carotid plaque had higher fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides than those without plaques. The presence of HIV, adjusted for age, overweight/obesity, and smoking increased by almost fivefold the risk of atherosclerotic carotid plaque (OR: 4.9; 95%CI: 2.5-9.9; p < 0.001). Exposure to protease inhibitors did not influence carotid intima-media thickness, was not associated with carotid plaque frequency, and did not alter the mechanical characteristics of the arterial system (PWV and AIx). HIV-infected patients are at increased risk of atherosclerosis in association with classical cardiovascular risk factors. Treatment with protease inhibitors does not promote functional changes in the arteries, and shows no association with increased frequency of atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries. The FCRS may be inappropriate for this population.

Alpha lipoic acid protects the heart against myocardial post ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmias via KATP channel activation in isolated rat hearts.

PubMed

Dudek, Magdalena; Knutelska, Joanna; Bednarski, Marek; Nowiński, Leszek; Zygmunt, Małgorzata; Bilska-Wilkosz, Anna; Iciek, Małgorzata; Otto, Monika; Żytka, Iwona; Sapa, Jacek; Włodek, Lidia; Filipek, Barbara

2014-06-01

The cardiovascular effects of alpha lipoic acid were evaluated in isolated rat hearts exposed to ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro. Alpha-lipoic acid raised the level of sulfane sulfur playing an important role in the release of hydrogen sulfide. H2S was shown to prevent the post-reperfusion arrhythmias and to protect the cardiomyocytes from death caused by hypoxia. The activation of potassium ATP-sensitive channels (K(ATP) channels) is one of the most important mechanisms of action of hydrogen sulfide in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alpha lipoic acid can prevent the occurrence of post-reperfusion arrhythmias in vitro using a Langendorff model of ischemia-reperfusion in rats affecting the K(ATP) channels. Alpha lipoic acid significantly improved post-reperfusion cardiac function (reducing incidence of arrhythmias), especially in a dose of 10(-7)M. These cardiovascular effects of this compound on the measured parameters were reversed by glibenclamide, a selective K(ATP) blocker. Alpha lipoic acid increased the level of sulfane sulfur in the hearts. This may suggest that the positive effects caused by alpha lipoic acid in the cardiovascular system are not only related to its strong antioxidant activity, and the influence on the activity of such enzymes as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, as previously suggested, but this compound can affect K(ATP) channels. It is possible that this indirect effect of alpha lipoic acid is connected with changes in the release of sulfane sulfur and hydrogen sulfide. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

The Bellagio Report: Cardiovascular risks of spaceflight: implications for the future of space travel.

PubMed

Sides, Marian B; Vernikos, Joan; Convertino, Victor A; Stepanek, Jan; Tripp, Lloyd D; Draeger, Jorg; Hargens, Alan R; Kourtidou-Papadeli, Chrysoula; Pavy-LeTraon, Anne; Russomano, Thais; Wong, Julielynn Y; Buccello, Regina R; Lee, Peter H; Nangalia, Vishal; Saary, M Joan

2005-09-01

Long-duration space missions, as well as emerging civilian tourist space travel activities, prompted review and assessment of data available to date focusing on cardiovascular risk and available risk mitigation strategies. The goal was the creation of tools for risk priority assessments taking into account the probability of the occurrence of an adverse cardiovascular event and available and published literature from spaceflight data as well as available risk mitigation strategies. An international group of scientists convened in Bellagio, Italy, in 2004 under the auspices of the Aerospace Medical Association to review available literature for cardiac risks identified in the Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap (versions 2000, 2004). This effort led to the creation of a priority assessment framework to allow for an objective assessment of the hazard, probability of its occurrence, mission impact, and available risk mitigation measures. Spaceflight data are presented regarding evidence/ no evidence of cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and cardiac function as well as orthostatic intolerance, exercise capacity, and peripheral resistance in presyncopal astronauts compared to non-presyncopal astronauts. Assessment of the priority of different countermeasures was achieved with a tabular framework with focus on probability of occurrence, mission impact, compliance, practicality, and effectiveness of countermeasures. Special operational settings and circumstances related to sensitive portions of any mission and the impact of environmental influences on mission effectiveness are addressed. The need for development of diagnostic tools, techniques, and countermeasure devices, food preparation, preservation technologies and medication, as well as an infrastructure to support these operations are stressed. Selected countermeasure options, including artificial gravity and pharmacological countermeasures need to be systematically evaluated and validated in flight, especially after long-duration exposures. Data need to be collected regarding the emerging field of suborbital and orbital civilian space travel, to allow for sound risk assessment.

Roles of A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins and Phosphodiesterases in the Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Ercu, Maria; Klussmann, Enno

2018-01-01

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are essential enzymes in the cyclic adenosine 3′-5′ monophosphate (cAMP) signaling cascade. They establish local cAMP pools by controlling the intensity, duration and compartmentalization of cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling. Various members of the AKAP and PDE families are expressed in the cardiovascular system and direct important processes maintaining homeostatic functioning of the heart and vasculature, e.g., the endothelial barrier function and excitation-contraction coupling. Dysregulation of AKAP and PDE function is associated with pathophysiological conditions in the cardiovascular system including heart failure, hypertension and atherosclerosis. A number of diseases, including autosomal dominant hypertension with brachydactyly (HTNB) and type I long-QT syndrome (LQT1), result from mutations in genes encoding for distinct members of the two classes of enzymes. This review provides an overview over the AKAPs and PDEs relevant for cAMP compartmentalization in the heart and vasculature and discusses their pathophysiological role as well as highlights the potential benefits of targeting these proteins and their protein-protein interactions for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. PMID:29461511

BDNF - A key player in cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Pius-Sadowska, Ewa; Machaliński, Bogusław

2017-09-01

Neurotrophins (NTs) were first identified as target-derived survival factors for neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system (PNS). They are known to control neural cell fate, development and function. Independently of their neuronal properties, NTs exert unique cardiovascular activity. The heart is innervated by sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons, which require NTs during early development and in the establishment of mature properties, contributing to the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis. The identification of molecular mechanisms regulated by NTs and involved in the crosstalk between cardiac sympathetic nerves, cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, and vascular cells, has a fundamental importance in both normal heart function and disease. The article aims to review the recent data on the effects of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) on various cardiovascular neuronal and non-neuronal functions such as the modulation of synaptic properties of autonomic neurons, axonal outgrowth and sprouting, formation of the vascular and neural networks, smooth muscle migration, and control of endothelial cell survival and cardiomyocytes. Understanding these mechanisms may be crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies, including stem cell-based therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular physiology - Effects of microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Convertino, V.; Hoffler, G. W.

1992-01-01

Experiments during spaceflight and its groundbase analog, bedrest, provide consistent data which demonstrate that numerous changes in cardiovascular function occur as part of the physiological adaptation process to the microgravity environment. These include elevated heart rate and venous compliance, lowered blood volume, central venous pressure and stroke volume, and attenuated autonomic reflex functions. Although most of these adaptations are not functionally apparent during microgravity exposure, they manifest themselves during the return to the gravitational challenge of earth's terrestrial environment as orthostatic hypotension and instability, a condition which could compromise safety, health and productivity. Development and application of effective and efficient countermeasures such as saline "loading," intermittent venous pooling, pharmacological treatments, and exercise have become primary emphases of the space life sciences research effort with only limited success. Successful development of countermeasures will require knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular adaptation to microgravity which can be obtained only through controlled, parallel groundbased research to complement carefully designed flight experiments. Continued research will provide benefits for both space and clinical applications as well as enhance the basic understanding of cardiovascular homeostasis in humans.

Cardiovascular effects of weightlessness and ground-based simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandler, Harold

1988-01-01

A large number of animal and human flight and ground-based studies were conducted to uncover the cardiovascular effects of weightlessness. Findings indicate changes in cardiovascular function during simulations and with spaceflight that lead to compromised function on reambulation and/or return to earth. This altered state termed cardiovascular deconditioning is most clearly manifest when in an erect body state. Hemodynamic parameters inidicate the presence of excessive tachnycardia, hypotension (leading to presyncope in one-third of the subjects), decreased heart volume, decreased plasma and circulating blood volumes and loss of skeletal muscle mass, particularly in the lower limbs. No clinically harmful effects were observed to date, but in-depth follow-ups were limited, as was available physiologic information. Available data concerning the causes for the observed changes indicate significant roles for mechanisms involved with body fluid-volume regulation, altered cardiac function, and the neurohumoral control of the control of the peripheral circulation. Satisfactory measures are not found. Return to preflight state was variable and only slightly dependent on flight duration. Future progress awaits availability of flight durations longer than several weeks.