Association of Cardiovascular Health Metrics With Risk of Transition to Hypertension in Non-Hypertensive Young Adults

The association of ideal cardiovascular health metrics and incident hypertension among an urban population of Iran: a decade follow-up in Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

We aimed to determine the association between ideal cardiovascular health metrics (ICVHM) and the incidence of hypertension among Iranian adults. The study population included 5409 Iranian adults aged ≥20 years (2088 men) without hypertension (applying the 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline) at baseline. The ICVHM was defined according to the AHA's 2020 impact goals, excluding total cholesterol was replaced by non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was done to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for ICVHM both as continuous and categorical variables. During a median 8.5-year follow-up, 2972 new cases of hypertension were identified (men: 1,287). Non-HDL-C < 130 mg/dL in men [HR (95% CI): 0.75(0.65-0.86)] and fasting plasma glucose(FPG) < 100 mg/dL in women[HR (95% CI): 0.79(0.64-0.97)], and among both genders, being normal/overweigth status (compared to obese) and blood pressure <120/80 mmHg were associated with a lower risk for hypertension. Additionally, in both gender, a 1-point increase in the number of global ICVHM decreased the risk of hypertension by more than 10%, and having ≥5 vs. <2 ICVHM, were associated with a lower risk of hypertension by 30% (all p values < 0.05). Applying the JNC 7 guideline, the association between ICVHM, with incident hypertension, were generally similar. Having a higher number of ICVHM was associated with a lower risk of incident hypertension, using both 2017 ACC/AHA and JNC 7 guidelines, mostly attributable to keeping the ideal status of body mass index, non-HDL-C, and FPG.

[Ischemic stroke in men 18-50 years of age]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the main modifiable risk factors for ischemic stroke (IS) and features of the course in atherothrombotic, cardioembolic, and lacunar subtypes of IS in men aged 18-50 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 125 men (the mean age was 42.6±5.3 years) who were admitted to the Vascular department before the COVID-19 pandemic and survived for the first 30 days after IS. Information on patients' baseline characteristics, traditional vascular risk factors, and lifestyle risk factors was systematically collected. Neuroimaging, ultrasound and laboratory tests were performed.

RESULTS

Atherothrombotic subtype was identified in 60 patients, lacunar subtype in 46 patients and cardioembolic subtype in 19 patients. In the group as a whole, major risk factors included arterial hypertension (83.2%), dyslipidemia (50.4%), smoking (67.2%), alcohol consumption (29.6%), obesity (16.8%), heart rhythm disorders (12%), and diabetes mellitus (8%).

CONCLUSION

The study revealed the main risk factors, the frequency of which differed depending on the stroke subtype and the age of the patients.

Baseline and longitudinal cardiovascular health using Life's Essential 8 metrics with the risk of incident hypertension

OBJECTIVE

The quantification of cardiovascular health (CVH) was updated by the American Heart Association recently by using the "Life's Essential 8" (LE8) score. We aimed to investigate the associations of baseline and longitudinal CVH status measured by the new LE8 score (except for blood pressure) with the risk of hypertension.

METHODS

A total of 52 990 participants with complete data on LE8 metrics and without hypertension were enrolled from the Kailuan study, Tangshan, China. The associations of incident hypertension with the overall baseline, time-updated, and time-varying CVH score (ranging 0 [lowest] to 100 [highest]), and each component of LE8, were assessed by Cox regressions.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 10.73 years 28 380 cases of incident hypertension were identified. The risk of hypertension attenuated with increased CVH score (Ptrend < 0.0001), the hazard ratios (HRs) in high CVH versus low CVH group was 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.57) for baseline CVH, 0.47 (95% CI, 0.45-0.50) for time-updated CVH, and 0.59 (95% CI, 0.55-0.63) for time-varying CVH. The predictive value of CVH in predicting hypertension improved by using LE8 than using Life's Simple 7 metrics. Among LE8 components, body mass index score was the strongest risk factor for hypertension. Subgroup analyses showed that the benefit of a higher CVH score on hypertension was more prominent in young adults and in women (Pinteraction < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher CVH score assessed by new LE8 is associated with a lower risk of subsequent hypertension, especially young adults and women.

Association of four health behaviors in Life's Essential 8 with the incidence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

The association between health behaviors and the risk of developing hypertension and diabetes is not fully understood. We aimed to examine the association between four health behaviors involved in Life's Essential 8, the American Heart Association's key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health, and the incidence of hypertension and diabetes.

METHODS

This observational cohort study used the JMDC Claims Database between 2005 and 2021, which is a health check-up and claims database. We analyzed 2,912,183 participants without a history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or renal failure. Non-ideal health behaviors included smoking, slow gait speed, eating fast, and poor sleep quality.

RESULTS

During 1140 ± 877 days, 201,385 hypertension and 142,156 diabetes events were recorded. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, the risk of hypertension and diabetes increased with an increasing number of non-ideal health behaviors. The hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) per 1-point increase in non-ideal health behavior components for hypertension and diabetes were 1.11 (1.10-1.11) and 1.08 (1.08-1.09), respectively. Each health behavior was independently associated with the incidence of hypertension and diabetes. A 1-point improvement in health behaviors was associated with a lower risk of developing hypertension (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.93-0.95) and diabetes (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.96).

CONCLUSION

Factors that can be substituted for the four health behaviors involved in Life's Essential 8 can stratify the risk of hypertension and diabetes, and improving these health behaviors is useful in preventing hypertension and diabetes in general population.

Early Vascular Aging in Obese Individuals with Low Cardiovascular Health

INTRODUCTION

The American Heart Association updated the original recommendations for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion, defining the Life's Essential 8 (L8).

AIM

the aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare vascular function, central hemodynamics and autonomic modulation in obese individuals with low and moderate CVH-L8.

METHODS

Both sexes, aged 40-70 years and Body Mass Index ≥ 30 and < 40 kg/m², were submitted to anthropometric and biochemical evaluation, assessment of heart rate variability, endothelial function by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and central parameters by oscillometry. The CVH-L8 score was determined using the eight metrics defined in the new classification.

RESULTS

Patients (n = 82) were divided according to CVH-L8 classification: moderate group (score CVH-L8 ≥ 50 ≤ 79 points, n = 47) and low group (score CVH-L8 ≤ 49 points, n = 35). Peripheral (119 ± 10 vs 125 ± 15 mmHg, p = 0.048) and central (111 ± 10 vs 118 ± 15 mmHg; p = 0.016) systolic blood pressures and pulse wave velocity (PWV) adequacy (- 0.08 ± 0.34 vs 0.15 ± 0.42 m/s, p = 0.008) were significantly higher in low CVH-L8 group. Brachial FMD (9.24 ± 5.41 vs 6.79 ± 4.74%, p = 0.043) were lower in this same group. Only in the low CVH-L8 group low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio was significantly correlated with PWV (r = 0.338, p = 0.047) and atherogenic index of plasma with Framingham risk score (r = 0.446, p = 0.008), even after adjustment for age and sex.

CONCLUSION

In this sample of obese individuals, low CVH-L8 was associated with higher peripheral and central blood pressures, and evidence of early vascular aging with arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction.

Risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in young and middle-aged adults: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in young and middle-aged people have not yet been determined. We conducted a meta-analysis to find the risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, in order to provide guidance for the prevention of diseases in the young and middle-aged population.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library from the establishment of the database to Mar 2022. We included case-control or cohort studies reporting risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in young and middle-aged adults. We excluded repeated publication, research without full text, incomplete information or inability to conduct data extraction and animal experiments, reviews and systematic reviews. STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The pooled results indicated that increased systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with increased risk of any stroke, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Body Mass Index (BMI), current smoking, hypertension, and diabetes were significantly associated with increased risk of any stroke and ischemic stroke. Atrial fibrillation was only significantly associated with increased risk of any stroke. Increased total cholesterol was significantly associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, whereas increased triglycerides were significantly associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke. In addition, increased hypertension was also significantly associated with an increased risk of acute coronary syndrome.

CONCLUSION

Our pooled results show that BMI, current smoking, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol can be used as risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in young people, while triglycerides can be used as protective factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in young and middle-aged adults.