The association between glomerular filtration rate and stroke in hypertensive patients in rural areas of China

Establishment and verification of a nomogram prediction model of hypertension risk in Xinjiang Kazakhs

Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases. It is of great importance to develop effective risk prediction models to identify high-risk groups of hypertension. This study is to establish and verify a nomogram model for predicting the risk of hypertension among Kazakh herders in Xinjiang, China.This is a prospective cohort study. Totally, 5327 Kazakh herders from the Nanshan pastoral area of Xinjiang were enrolled. They were randomly divided into the modeling set of 3729 cases (70%) and the validation set of 1598 cases (30%). In the modeling set, univariate analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of hypertension, and a nomogram prediction model was constructed. We then validated the model in the validation set, and evaluated the accuracy of the model using receiver operating characteristic and calibration curve.Based on univariate analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis, we identified 14 independent predictors of hypertension in the modeling set, including age, smoking, alcohol consumption, baseline body mass index, baseline diastolic blood pressure, baseline systolic blood pressure, daily salt intake, yak-butter intake, daily oil intake, fruit and vegetable intake, low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, abdominal circumference, and family history. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the modeling set and the verification set was 0.803 and 0.809, respectively. Moreover, the calibration curve showed a higher agreement between the nomogram prediction and the actual observation of hypertension.The risk prediction nomogram model has good predictive ability and could be used as an effective tool for the risk prediction of hypertension among Kazakh herders in Xinjiang.

Association Between Vascular Overload Index and New-Onset Ischemic Stroke in Elderly Population with Hypertension

Background

Vascular overload index (VOI) is a marker of arterial stiffness and arteriolar resistance, which predicts the increasing risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between VOI and new-onset ischemic stroke in an elderly population with hypertension.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 3315 hypertensive participants aged 60 years or more. Ischemic stroke was diagnosed according to cranial computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain or cerebrovascular angiography. The calculation of VOI was based on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. VOI was divided by quartiles (<7.88 mmHg, 7.88–16.10 mmHg, 16.10–27.14 mmHg, ≥27.14 mmHg) and evaluated the association with new-onset ischemic stroke by multivariable Cox regression models.

Results

A total of 3315 participants (55.5% female) aged 71.4±7.20 years were included in the analysis. The median follow-up period was 5.5 years, and 206 participants reached the endpoint, new-onset ischemic stroke. With per standard deviation increment in VOI, the risks of new-onset ischemic stroke increased in non-adjusted model (Hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.22; p = 0.001), adjusted model (HR, 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04–1.22; p = 0.003) and fully-adjusted model (HR, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08–1.26; p<0.001), respectively. In multivariate fully adjusted model, the risks of ischemic stroke increased in higher quartiles in comparison to the first quartiles (p for trend <0.001).

Conclusion

In an elderly hypertensive population, VOI is significantly associated with the incidence of new-onset ischemic stroke. Elevated VOI is the cardiovascular risk factor and increases the probability of new-onset ischemic stroke.

Blood pressure predictors of stroke in rural Chinese dwellers with hypertension: a large-scale prospective cohort study

Background

Little was known about the different predictive power of blood pressure (BP) parameters (SBP, systolic BP; mean arterial pressure, MAP; pulse pressure, PP; and diastolic BP, DBP) and stroke incidence. This study’s aim was to compare power of BP parameters predict stroke events among rural dwelling Chinese individuals with hypertension.

Method

A total of 5097 hypertension patients (56.2% women; mean age, 56.3 ± 11.2 years) were included in the prospective cohort study with a median follow-up of 8.4 years.

Results

Until the end of the last follow-up, there were 501 onset strokes (310 ischemic, 186 hemorrhagic, and 5 unclassified strokes) among the 5097 participants. The results showed that hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval, 95% CI) with an increment of 5 mmHg were 1.095 (1.070–1.121) for PP, 1.173 (1.139–1.208) for MAP, 1.109(1.089–1.130) for SBP, 1.143(1.104–1.185) for DBP. The SBP indicated the largest β coefficient in the Cox proportional hazard model for all stroke except PP or MAP, and the SBP revealed slightly higher value than MAP (β_SBP = 0.435, β_MAP = 0.430, P = 0.756).

Conclusions

Both PP and MAP were predictive factors for stroke. The MAP showed a stronger ability to predict stroke events than PP, and slightly inferior to SBP for hypertension patients.

Performance and validation of R-CHA2DS2VASc score for thromboembolism in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE

To validate the modified R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score as a predictor of thromboembolism in HCM patients.

METHODS

A total of 446 HCM patients were enrolled in our study, thirty-one (6.95%) patients experienced thromboembolic events during the follow-up time of 1786.7 person-years. The association between R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score and risk of thromboembolism was assessed by Cox's proportional hazard analysis. The discriminatory power of R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score for thromboembolism prediction was assessed by Harrell's C-statistic and validated internally by bootstrapping methods. Calibration plot was plotted by observed versus expected probabilities of thromboembolism.

RESULTS

The R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score was well calibrated with 0.84 thromboembolic events per 100 person-years in the predefined low risk (R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score ≤2) group, 1.84 in the low to moderate risk (R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score 3-4) group, 4.67 in the moderate to high risk (R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score 5-7) group, and 17.54 in the high risk (R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score ≥8) group. Hazard ratios for thromboembolism were 2.88 (95%CI: 1.06-7.82, P=0.038) for low to moderate versus low risk group, 5.30 (95%CI: 2.14-13.12, P=0.0003) for moderate to high versus low risk group, and 16.57 5.30 (95%CI: 4.96-55.33, P<0.0001) for high versus low risk group after adjusting left atria size. The Harrell's C statistic was 0.7737 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score.

CONCLUSION

The R-CHA₂DS₂VASc score has shown good calibration and discriminative power in the prediction of thromboembolism for HCM patients. It should be considered as a potential decision support tool for HCM patients during clinical practice.

Sex difference in the incidence of stroke and its corresponding influence factors: results from a follow-up 8.4 years of rural China hypertensive prospective cohort study

Background

Few studies investigate sex difference in stroke incidence in rural China hypertensive population.

Methods

A total of 5097 hypertensive patients aged ≥35 years (mean age, 56.3 ± 11.2 years; 43.8% men) were included in our analysis with a median follow-up 8.4 years in Fuxin county of Liaoning province in China. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the association between the potential factors and incident stroke.

Results

We observed 501 new strokes (310 ischemic, 186 hemorrhagic, and 5 unclassified stroke) during the follow-up. The overall incidence of stroke was 1235.21 per 100,000 person-years; for men, the rates were 1652.51 and 920.80 for women. This sex difference in all stroke can be explained by approximately 25% through age, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, current smoking, current drinking, antihypertensive drugs, education and physical activity. Subgroup analysis indicated that in hemorrhagic stroke this sex difference was more remarkable (63.89% can be explained).

Conclusions

The incidence of stroke was higher in men than that in women and this difference was partly explained by several traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Non-traditional lipid profiles associated with ischemic stroke not hemorrhagic stroke in hypertensive patients: results from an 8.4 years follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that non-traditional lipid profiles have a better association with stroke than traditional blood lipids in clinical applications, other studies have drawn different conclusions.

METHODS

This study was a large-scale study with a median follow-up of 8.4 years. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% Confidence interval (CI) of lipid variables for risk of incident stroke were analyzed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

During the follow-up, 502 new strokes (310 ischemic, 187 hemorrhagic, and 5 unclassified strokes) occurred among the 5099 hypertensive patients. Comparing with the lowest quarter, the HR of future ischemic stroke (IS) in the highest were 1.41(95%CI, 1.03-1.92) for TC, 1.60 (95%CI, 1.15-2.22) for TG, 1.03 (95%CI, 0.75-1.42) for HDL-C, 1.77 (95%CI, 1.29-2.44) for LDL-C, 1.42 (95%CI, 1.03-1.94) for non-HDL, 2.09 (95%CI, 1.45-3.00) for TC/HDL, 2.08 (95%CI, 1.46-2.96) for LDL/HDL, 1.86 (95%CI 1.33-2.60) for TG/HDL, respectively. No significant association was observed between lipid-related indicators and hemorrhagic stroke. The results of statistical differences showed that the correlation between LDL/HDL and the risk of ischemic stroke in non-traditional lipids was higher than that of other traditional lipids (P < 0.001), except for LDL (P = 0.056).

CONCLUSIONS

We didn't find that HDL was associated with the risk of stroke and all the lipid parameters were not associated with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. LDL/HDL was associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke than other lipids and should be considered for clinical diagnosis and future disease prevention.

Proteinuria Is an Independent Risk Factor for First Incident Stroke in Adults Under Treatment for Hypertension in China

Background

Conflicting evidence exists regarding whether reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria are independent risk factors for stroke and its subtypes in hypertensive patients. This study investigated the association of these renal measures with first incident stroke in adults under treatment for hypertension in China.

Methods and Results

The study included 19 599 adults aged 45 to 75 years who participated in the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. Baseline eGFR was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation. Proteinuria was assessed by qualitative dipstick urinalysis and in a subset by the quantitative albumin–creatinine ratio method. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the effects of eGFR and proteinuria on the risk of first incident stroke. During a median of 4.5 years of follow‐up, a total of 585 first strokes (472 ischemic strokes) were identified. Compared to participants without proteinuria, participants with proteinuria (trace or more by dipstick) had a 35% increased risk of first stroke: the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) was 1.35 (1.09–1.66, P=0.005). The results were robust in subgroup analyses. In a subset with data on proteinuria measured by quantitative albumin–creatinine ratio, a similar association was found. In both independent and combined analyses with proteinuria, eGFR was not significantly associated with stroke.

Conclusions

In adults under treatment for hypertension in China, baseline proteinuria measured by dipstick or quantitative albumin–creatinine ratio, but not reduced eGFR, was found to be an independent risk factor for first incident stroke and ischemic stroke.

Depression and quality of life in relation to decreased glomerular filtration rate among adults with hypertension in rural northeast China

BACKGROUND/AIMS

We aim to investigate the extent to which depression and quality of life might be associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in a large hypertensive population in rural Northeast China.

METHODS

A total of 5566 hypertensive participants aged 35 years and older were screened with a stratified cluster multistage sampling scheme in rural areas of Liaoning Province during 2012-2013. Decreased GFR was defined as estimated GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of decreased GFR was 3.2%. In the multivariable regression model, participants with moderate or greater depression had a greater risk for having a decreased GFR (OR: 1.739, 95%CI: 1.004 to 3.014) after full adjustment. Every -point increase of all the domains in WHOQOL-BREF, except for physical and environment domains, was significantly related to a lower risk for decreased GFR adjusting for age, gender and race. However, after fully adjustment, only social relations remained significant (OR: 0.899, 95%CI: 0.820 to 0.985). Increasing in total scores of WHOQOL-BREF was a protective factor against decreased GFR after fully adjustment.

CONCLUSION

We found that moderate or greater depression and lower quality of life were associated with higher risks for developing decreased GFR.

Self-reported sleep duration is associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate among adults with hypertension: a population-based study from rural northeast China

Short sleep duration has been found recently to be a predictor of proteinuria. However, population-based investigations addressing the association between self-reported sleep duration and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) among hypertensive patients are lacking. We therefore sought to investigate the extent to which self-reported sleep duration might be associated with reduced GFR in a large hypertensive population in rural northeast China. A total of 5555 hypertensive participants, aged ≥35 years, in rural areas of Liaoning Province, China, were screened between January 2012 and August 2013, using a stratified, cluster multi-stage sampling scheme. Anthropometric measurements, self-reported sleep duration, blood biochemical indexes and other health-related variables were collected by medically trained personnel. Reduced GFR was defined as the estimated GFR (eGFR) < 60 mL min(-1) 1.73 m(2). On average, participants slept for 6.9 ± 1.6 h per night. Mean self-reported sleep duration decreased with eGFR (P < 0.001). For both genders, a lower prevalence of reduced GFR was observed among participants who slept ≤6 h per night in total. In the multivariable regression model, after adjustments for age, gender, ethnicity, lifestyle factors, clinical correlates, depressive symptoms and general quality of life, participants who slept for 6 h or less per night were associated with a higher risk of reduced GFR [odds ratio (OR: 1.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-2.73] compared with the reference group (self-reported sleep duration >7 and ≤8 h day(-1) ). We concluded that short self-reported sleep duration (≤6 h per night) was related significantly to an increased risk of reduced GFR in a hypertensive population. This novel risk factor should be taken into consideration during daily management of hypertension to prevent chronic kidney disease.

Polygenic overlap between kidney function and large artery atherosclerotic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Epidemiological studies show strong associations between kidney dysfunction and risk of ischemic stroke (IS), the mechanisms of which are incompletely understood. We investigated whether these associations may reflect shared heritability because of a common polygenic basis and whether this differed for IS subtypes.

METHODS

Polygenic models were derived using genome-wide association studies meta-analysis results for 3 kidney traits: estimated glomerular filtration rate using serum creatinine (eGFRcrea: n=73 998), eGFR using cystatin C (eGFRcys: n=22 937), and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (n=31 580). For each, single nucleotide polymorphisms passing 10 P value thresholds were used to form profile scores in 4561 IS cases and 7094 controls from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. Scores were tested for association with IS and its 3 aetiological subtypes: large artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, and small vessel disease.

RESULTS

Polygenic scores correlating with higher eGFRcrea were associated with reduced risk of large artery atherosclerosis, with 5 scores reaching P<0.05 (peak P=0.004) and all showing the epidemiologically expected direction of effect. A similar pattern was observed for polygenic scores reflecting higher urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, of which 3 associated with large artery atherosclerosis (peak P=0.01) and all showed the expected directional association. One urinary albumin to creatinine ratio-based score also associated with small vessel disease (P=0.03). The global pattern of results was unlikely to have occurred by chance (P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests possible polygenic correlation between renal dysfunction and IS. The shared genetic components may be specific to stroke subtypes, particularly large artery atherosclerotic stroke. Further study of the genetic relationships between these disorders seems merited.

Predictive value for the rural Chinese population of the Framingham hypertension risk model: results from Liaoning Province

BACKGROUND

A prediction model from the US Framingham Heart Study (FHS) population has been established to estimate an individual's risk of developing hypertension. However, this model has not been widely tested in other cohorts. In this study, we examined the predictive capability of the FHS prediction model in a rural Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 24,434 rural Chinese adults aged ≥35 years, without prevalent hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, and coronary heart disease at baseline, were followed for the incidence of hypertension. Standard clinical examinations of blood pressure, weight and height, smoking status, and parental history of hypertension were observed biennially.

RESULTS

The mean age was 47.9 (SD = 10.2) years, and 49.5% of subjects were women. During a median 4.8 years of follow-up, we recorded a total of 8,675 incident hypertension cases. The cumulative 2-year and 4-year hypertension incidence rates were 7.7% and 25.6%, respectively. The C statistics for the 2-year and 4-year incidences of hypertension were 0.537 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.524-0.550) and 0.610 (95% CI = 0.602-0.618) for the FHS model, respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow χ(2) test results for 2-year and 4-year incidence of hypertension were 2,287.7 (P < 0.0001) and 8,227.1 (P < 0.0001), respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the FHS prediction model still has a poor performance, although the predictive ability was better than for the overall population.

CONCLUSIONS

The FHS hypertension prediction model is not a valid tool with which to estimate the risk of incidence of hypertension among the rural Chinese population. A new hypertension risk equation for the rural Chinese population is needed.

Increased risk of getting sudden sensorineural hearing loss in patients with chronic kidney disease: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To examine the risk of getting Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Population-based representative insurance claims data were used to examine the risk of getting SSHL among patients with chronic kidney disease. Data extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database yielded 37,421 patients with newly diagnosed renal insufficiency and 37,421 subjects without renal insufficiency from between 2000 and 2004.

RESULTS

The incidence of SSHL at the end of 2009 was determined. The incidence of SSHL was 1.57 times higher in the CKD-carrying group compared to the incidence in the non-CKD group (10.24 vs. 6.52 per 10,000 person-years), with adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.46 (95% CI = 1.194-1.787) using Cox proportional hazard regressions. Age was an independent risk factor of getting SSHL, with adjusted HRs of 2.01, 3.178, and 2.285 for age ranges of 35 ≈ 49, 50 ≈ 64 and ≥ 65 compared with age range of 0 ≈ 35. Diabetes Mellitus was another independent risk factor with HR of 1.31 (95% CI = 1.003-1.711).

CONCLUSIONS

Present results suggested a significant association between CKD and increased risk of getting SSHL. Comorbidity of diabetes in patients with CKD appeared to be associated with increased risk of getting SSHL, especially for the patients who are 35 years of age and older.