Association between tongue pressure and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in relation to platelet levels in hypertensive elderly men: a cross-sectional study

Background

Age-related low-grade inflammation causing endothelial disruption influences sarcopenia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. We reported previously that maintenance of muscle strength in elderly hypertensive men with high platelet levels is positively associated with subclinical atherosclerosis but not in those with low platelet levels. Since reduced tongue pressure is related to sarcopenia, tongue pressure may be associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive elderly subjects, and platelet levels may function as an indicator of the association between tongue pressure and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 342 hypertensive elderly Japanese men aged 60–89 who participated in an annual health check-up in 2015 and 2016. Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) of 1.1 mm or more.

Results

In the overall study population, 171 subjects demonstrated low platelets (< 21.4 × 10⁴/μL). Tongue pressure was significantly inversely associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in these subjects, but not in subjects with high platelets. The known cardiovascular risk factor adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis for a 1 standard deviation (SD) increment in tongue pressure (10.4 kPa) were 0.54 (0.35, 0.85) and 1.31 (0.87, 1.96), respectively.

Conclusion

Tongue pressure is inversely associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive elderly men with low platelet levels, but not in those with high levels. This finding may thus constitute an efficient tool for clarifying the background mechanism of age-related diseases such as sarcopenia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.

Higher blood hematocrit predicts hyperuricemia: a prospective study of 62,897 person-years of follow-up

This prospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between higher hematocrit (Hct) level and hyperuricemia (HU) incidence. A total of 27,540 subjects were included. Baseline Hct was classified into four categories based on the quartile distribution of the study population. A cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the risk of HU incidence across the Hct quartiles after adjusting a number of potential confounding factors. Out of the 62,897 person-years of follow-up, 2745 new cases of HU were developed. In models adjusted for known risk factors of HU, higher Hct was used to predict HU incidence independently in a graded manner (p = 0.02): compared with subjects in the lowest quartile, subjects in the highest quartile of Hct (hazard ratio = 1.20; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.41) were n20% more likely to develop HU. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the hazard ratios increased with the extension of the minimum follow-up interval. When the minimum follow-up interval was restricted to 4 years, subjects in the highest quartile of Hct were 70% more likely to develop HU, compared with the lowest quartile. Higher Hct, a routinely measured inexpensive biomarker was independently associated with the incidence of HU even within the normal range.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection is strongly correlated with decreased mean platelet volume

BACKGROUND

To date, infections have usually been associated with elevations of the mean platelet volume. We correlated infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with changes in mean platelet volume (MPV).

METHODS

A consecutive series of patients with positive and negative rapid RSV assays and viral cultures, as well as children under 10 years of age with bronchoscopy for pneumonia or airway obstruction, were compared.

RESULTS

The MPV was significantly lower in patients with positive versus negative rapid RSV assays (9.7±0.8 vs. 10.5±0.9 fl, p<0.001), as well as viral cultures (9.9±1.0 vs. 10.5±1.0 fl, p<0.001). Children with RSV undergoing bronchoscopy (n=7) also had significantly lower MPV than children without RSV (n=79) (8.8±1.0 vs. 10.2±1.1 fl, p<0.004). An MPV <8.9 fl had a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 49% for RSV in children undergoing bronchoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that infection with RSV is associated with decreased MPV and this may be clinically useful in children undergoing bronchoscopy.