Prediction of coronary heart disease or heart failure using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T: A pilot study

Insights from metagenomics into gut microbiome associated with acute coronary syndrome therapy

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a predominant cause of mortality, and the prompt and precise identification of this condition is crucial to minimize its impact. Recent research indicates that gut microbiota is associated with the onset, progression, and treatment of ACS. To investigate its role, we sequenced the gut microbiota of 38 ACS patients before and after percutaneous coronary intervention and statin therapy at three time points, examining differential species and metabolic pathways. We observed a decrease in the abundance of Parabacteroides, Escherichia, and Blautia in patients after treatment and an increase in the abundance of Gemalla, Klebsiella variicola, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and others. Two pathways related to sugar degradation were more abundant in patients before treatment, possibly correlated with disorders of sugar metabolism and risk factors, such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and insufficient insulin secretion. Additionally, seven pathways related to the biosynthesis of vitamin K2 and its homolog were reduced after treatment, suggesting that ACS patients may gradually recover after therapy. The gut microbiota of patients treated with different statins exhibited notable differences after treatment. Rosuvastatin appeared to promote the growth of anti-inflammatory bacteria while reducing pro-inflammatory bacteria, whereas atorvastatin may have mixed effects on pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory bacteria while increasing the abundance of Bacteroides. Our research will provide valuable insights and enhance comprehension of ACS, leading to better patient diagnosis and therapy.

The prognostic value of cardiac troponin T in different age groups of traumatic brain injury patients

BACKGROUND

The cardiac dysfunction has been confirmed as a common non-neurological complication and associated with increased mortality in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. As a biological marker of cardiac injury, the cardiac troponin T (TnT) has been verified correlated with the outcome of some non-traumatic brain injury patients. However, the prognostic value of TnT in TBI patients has not been clearly illustrated. We designed this study to explore the association between TnT and the outcome of TBI patients in different age subgroups.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with TBI in a prospective critical care database were eligible for this study. Univariate logistic regression analysis was firstly performed to explore the relationship between included variables and mortality. Then, the real effect of TnT on the outcome of different age subgroups was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting the confounding effects of other significant risk factors. Finally, we draw receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate the prognostic value of TnT in different age groups of TBI patients.

RESULTS

520 patients were included in this study with a mortality rate of 20.2%. There were 112 (21.5%) non-elderly patients (age < 65) and 408 (78.5%) elderly patients (age ≥ 65). Non-survivors had a higher percentage of previous acute myocardial infarction (p = 0.019) and pupil no-reaction (p = 0.028; p = 0.011) than survivors. Survivors had higher GCS (p < 0.001) and lower TnT than non-survivors (p < 0.001). TnT was significantly associated with mortality in non-elderly patients (p = 0.031) but not in overall patients (p = 0.143) and elderly patients (p = 0.456) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. The AUC (area under the ROC curve) value of TnT in overall, non-elderly and elderly patients was 0.644, 0.693 and 0.632, respectively. Combining TnT with GCS increased the sensitivity of predicting the poor outcome in both non-elderly and elderly TBI patients.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic value of TnT differed between elderly and non-elderly TBI patients. Level of TnT was associated with mortality of non-elderly TBI patients but not elderly patients. Combining the TnT with GCS could increase the sensitivity of prognosis evaluation.

Block Matching Pyramid Algorithm-Based Analysis on Efficacy of Shexiang Baoxin Pills Guided by Echocardiogram (ECG) on Patients with Angina Pectoris in Coronary Heart Disease

This paper was aimed to explore the application of the block matching pyramid (BMP) algorithm in echocardiographic spot tracking in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and angina pectoris, as well as the effect of Shexiang Baoxin pills (a kind of drug containing musk, which is good for cardiac diseases) on blood lipids, cardiac function, and curative effect. 206 patients with CHD angina pectoris in the hospital from July 2018 to May 2020 were selected as the research subjects and were enrolled into the control (Ctrl) group (conventional treatment, n = 103) and the observation group (the Shexiang Baoxin pill was given on the basis of conventional treatment, n = 103) in random. Then, the patients' echocardiograms were obtained, and the BMP algorithm was used to track the echocardiograms. At 12 months after treatment, the total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were compared. Besides, the differences between left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), cardiac index (CI), cardiac output (CO), and LVEF were observed. Finally, the efficacy of angina pectoris and electrocardiogram was calculated. It was found that the BMP algorithm can track the echocardiograms and display the movement and displacement of the patients' left ventricle. After treatment, in contrast with the Ctrl, the levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C in the observation group were obviously lower (P < 0.05); the LVESV, LVEDV, and LVEF were obviously lower (P < 0.05), the LVESD, LVEDD, CO, and CI were obviously higher (P < 0.05), the total score of angina after treatment was obviously lower (P < 0.05), and the total effective rates of angina pectoris and echocardiogram were obviously higher (P < 0.05). In conclusion, echocardiographic spot tracking can realize the diagnosis of patients with CHD angina pectoris, and Shexiang Baoxin pill can regulate the blood lipid level and improve the echocardiographic indicators and the clinical efficacy is obvious.

Clinical outcomes and survival analysis in patients with psycho-cardiological disease: a retrospective analysis of 132 cases

Objectives

The deleterious effects of psychological problems on coronary heart disease (CHD) are not satisfactorily explained. We explored influential factors associated with mortality in psycho-cardiological disease in a Chinese sample.

Methods

Of 7460 cardiac patients, we selected 132 patients with CHD and mental illness. Follow-up was conducted via telephone. We analyzed clinical characteristics, clinical outcomes, and survival.

Results

The clinical detection rate of psycho-cardiological disease in the overall patient population was 1.8%. Of these, 113 patients completed follow-up; 18 died owing to cardiovascular diseases during follow-up. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed dysphagia, limb function, self-care ability, percutaneous coronary intervention, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, pro-brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity (hs) troponin T had significant associations with cumulative survival. Cox regression analysis showed total cholesterol (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.765, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001–7.641), hs troponin T (HR: 4.668, 95% CI: 1.293–16.854), and percutaneous coronary intervention (HR: 3.619, 95% CI: 1.383–9.474) were independently associated with cumulative survival.

Conclusions

The clinical detection rate of psycho-cardiological disease was far lower than expected. Normal total cholesterol and hs troponin T were associated with reduced cardiovascular disease mortality over 2 years. Percutaneous coronary intervention is a prognostic risk factor in patients with psycho-cardiological disease.

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

Preeclampsia is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Women with a history of preeclampsia are at risk of developing hypertension as well as ischemic heart disease. Identification of women at the highest risk is important to initiate preventive strategies. We investigated whether high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) levels are associated with a history of early-onset preeclampsia, and with hypertension in these high-risk women.

METHODS

Approximately 9-10 years after pregnancy, hs-cTnI levels were measured for 339 women of the Preeclampsia Risk Evaluation in FEMales cohort, consisting of 177 women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia and 162 women with a previous uncomplicated index pregnancy. Associations were analyzed using several statistical tests and linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The median hs-cTnI levels (IQR) were 2.50 ng/l (2.30) in women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia and 2.35 ng/l (2.50) in women without a history of preeclampsia, P = 0.53. Among women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia, the hs-cTnI levels were higher in women who were hypertensive compared with their normotensive counterparts (medians 2.60 versus 2.30; P = 0.03). In addition, blood pressure levels increased with increasing hs-cTnI levels.

CONCLUSION

We did not find a difference in hs-cTnI levels between women with and without a history of early-onset preeclampsia. Nonetheless, hs-cTnI levels were statistically significantly higher in current hypertensive women with a history of preeclampsia compared with their normotensive counterparts. Therefore, hs-cTnI levels might improve risk prediction for women at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cardioprotective Effects of Honey and Its Constituent: An Evidence-Based Review of Laboratory Studies and Clinical Trials

Cardiovascular disease is a major public health burden worldwide. Myocardial infarction is the most common form of cardiovascular disease resulting from low blood supply to the heart. It can lead to further complications such as cardiac arrhythmia, toxic metabolite accumulation, and permanently infarcted areas. Honey is one of the most prized medicinal remedies used since ancient times. There is evidence that indicates honey can function as a cardioprotective agent in cardiovascular diseases. The present review compiles and discusses the available evidence on the effect of honey on cardiovascular diseases. Three electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, and MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, were searched between January 1959 and March 2020 to identify reports on the cardioprotective effect of honey. Based on the pre-set eligibility criteria, 25 qualified articles were selected and discussed in this review. Honey investigated in the studies included varieties according to their geological origin. Honey protects the heart via lipid metabolism improvement, antioxidative activity, blood pressure modulation, heartbeat restoration, myocardial infarct area reduction, antiaging properties, and cell apoptosis attenuation. This review establishes honey as a potential candidate to be explored further as a natural and dietary alternative to the management of cardiovascular disease.