Abdominal obesity and the risk of recurrent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction

Role of Gut Microbial Metabolites in Cardiovascular Diseases-Current Insights and the Road Ahead

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality globally. The identification of novel risk factors contributing to CVD onset and progression has enabled an improved understanding of CVD pathophysiology. In addition to the conventional risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking, the role of gut microbiome and intestinal microbe-derived metabolites in maintaining cardiovascular health has gained recent attention in the field of CVD pathophysiology. The human gastrointestinal tract caters to a highly diverse spectrum of microbes recognized as the gut microbiota, which are central to several physiologically significant cascades such as metabolism, nutrient absorption, and energy balance. The manipulation of the gut microbial subtleties potentially contributes to CVD, inflammation, neurodegeneration, obesity, and diabetic onset. The existing paradigm of studies suggests that the disruption of the gut microbial dynamics contributes towards CVD incidence. However, the exact mechanistic understanding of such a correlation from a signaling perspective remains elusive. This review has focused upon an in-depth characterization of gut microbial metabolites and their role in varied pathophysiological conditions, and highlights the potential molecular and signaling mechanisms governing the gut microbial metabolites in CVDs. In addition, it summarizes the existing courses of therapy in modulating the gut microbiome and its metabolites, limitations and scientific gaps in our current understanding, as well as future directions of studies involving the modulation of the gut microbiome and its metabolites, which can be undertaken to develop CVD-associated treatment options. Clarity in the understanding of the molecular interaction(s) and associations governing the gut microbiome and CVD shall potentially enable the development of novel druggable targets to ameliorate CVD in the years to come.

Association of body mass index and waist circumference with long-term mortality risk in 10,370 coronary patients and potential modification by lifestyle and health determinants

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Body adiposity is known to affect mortality risk in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We examined associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with long term mortality in Dutch CAD patients, and potential and effect modification of these associations by lifestyle and health determinants.

METHODS

10,370 CAD patients (mean age ∼65 y; 20% female; >80% on cardiovascular drugs) from the prospective Alpha Omega Cohort and Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort-Secondary Manifestations of ARTerial disease study were included. Cox models were used to estimate categorical and continuous associations (using restricted cubic splines) of measured BMI and WC with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and educational level. Analyses were repeated in subgroups of lifestyle factors (smoking, physical activity, diet quality), education and health determinants (diabetes, self-rated health).

RESULTS

During ∼10 years of follow-up (91,947 person-years), 3,553 deaths occurred, including 1,620 from cardiovascular disease. U-shaped relationships were found for BMI and mortality risk, with the lowest risk for overweight patients (BMI ∼27 kg/m2). For obesity (BMI ≥30), the HR for all-cause mortality was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.41) in male patients and 1.10 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.30) in female patients, compared to BMI 25-30 kg/m2. WC was also non-linearly associated with mortality, and HRs were 1.18 (95%CI:1.06, 1.30) in males and 1.31 (95%CI:1.05, 1.64) in females for the highest vs. middle category of WC. Results for cardiovascular mortality were mostly in line with the results for all-cause mortality. U-shaped associations were found in most subgroups, associations were moderately modified by physical activity, smoking and educational level.

CONCLUSIONS

CAD patients with obesity and a large WC were at increased risk of long-term CVD and all-cause mortality, while mildly overweight patients had the lowest risk. These associations were consistent across subgroups of patients with different lifestyles and health status.

A New Age for Secondary Prevention: Optimal Medical Therapy for Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Among Patients with Diabetes and/or Obesity

Patients with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity and established cardiovascular disease are at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events. The indications of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors have been expanded in the last decade due to benefit in cardiovascular outcome trials and are now considered guideline-recommended therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Emerging data have begun to suggest that GLP-1RAs can decrease major adverse cardiovascular events among patients with obesity without diabetes. Overall, prescription of these agents remains low, despite being key to improve disparities in recurrent cardiovascular events. In this review, we discuss optimal medical therapy for secondary prevention for stable ischemic heart disease.

Clinically Effective Molecules of Natural Origin for Obesity Prevention or Treatment

The prevalence and incidence of obesity and the comorbidities linked to it are increasing worldwide. Current therapies for obesity and associated pathologies have proven to cause a broad number of adverse effects, and often, they are overpriced or not affordable for all patients. Among the alternatives currently available, natural bioactive compounds stand out. These are frequently contained in pharmaceutical presentations, nutraceutical products, supplements, or functional foods. The clinical evidence for these molecules is increasingly solid, among which epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ellagic acid, resveratrol, berberine, anthocyanins, probiotics, carotenoids, curcumin, silymarin, hydroxy citric acid, and α-lipoic acid stand out. The molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of these molecules have been shown to interact with the endocrine, nervous, and gastroenteric systems. They can regulate the expression of multiple genes and proteins involved in starvation-satiety processes, activate the brown adipose tissue, decrease lipogenesis and inflammation, increase lipolysis, and improve insulin sensitivity. This review provides a comprehensive view of nature-based therapeutic options to address the increasing prevalence of obesity. It offers a valuable perspective for future research and subsequent clinical practice, addressing everything from the molecular, genetic, and physiological bases to the clinical study of bioactive compounds.

Genetically predicted waist circumference and risk of atrial fibrillation

INTRODUCTION

Observational studies have revealed an association between waist circumference (WC) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is difficult to infer a causal relationship from observational studies because the observed associations could be confounded by unknown risk factors. Therefore, the causal role of WC in AF is unclear. This study was designed to investigate the causal association between WC and AF using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

METHODS

In our two-sample MR analysis, the genetic variation used as an instrumental variable for MR was acquired from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of WC (42 single nucleotide polymorphisms with a genetic significance of P <5 × 10 -8 ). The data of WC (from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits consortium, containing 232,101 participants) and the data of AF (from the European Bioinformatics Institute database, containing 55,114 AF cases and 482,295 controls) were used to assess the causal role of WC on AF. Three different approaches (inverse variance weighted [IVW], MR-Egger, and weighted median regression) were used to ensure that our results more reliable.

RESULTS

All three MR analyses provided evidence of a positive causal association between high WC and AF. High WC was suggested to increase the risk of AF based on the IVW method (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-1.58, P = 2.51 × 10 -13 ). The results of MR-Egger and weighted median regression exhibited similar trends (MR-Egger OR = 1.40 [95% CI, 1.08-1.81], P = 1.61 × 10 -2 ; weighted median OR = 1.39 [95% CI, 1.21-1.61], P = 1.62 × 10 -6 ). MR-Egger intercepts and funnel plots showed no directional pleiotropic effects between high WC and AF.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that greater WC is associated with an increased risk of AF. Taking measures to reduce WC may help prevent the occurrence of AF.

Association of neck circumference and waist-hip ratio with total leukocyte count in healthy Indian adolescents

OBJECTIVES

One of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease is obesity, particularly abdominal and visceral obesity. Another concern for it is inflammation. Both risk factors are interrelated as obesity is a state of subacute low-grade systemic inflammation. As neck circumference and waist-hip ratio are potential indicators of obesity, we wanted to compare the level of total leukocyte count in subjects with normal and high neck circumference and waist-hip ratio. We also wanted to observe whether there is any correlation between neck circumference and waist-hip ratio with total leukocyte count.

METHODS

We selected 62 subjects (30 males, and 32 females) for the study. Both males and females were categorized into groups of normal and high neck circumference and waist-hip ratios. The total leukocyte count was compared among the groups and we correlated neck circumference and waist-hip ratios with total leukocyte count. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 23.0.

RESULTS

We observed a statistically significant higher value of total leukocyte count in males with a high waist-hip ratio. But there was not a significant increase in TLC in males with high neck circumference. In females, the values were insignificant. On Pearson correlation, there was a negative correlation between neck circumference, waist-hip ratio, and total leukocyte count in both genders which is not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that waist-hip ratio rather than neck circumference might be a proxy measure of a marker of inflammation in males.

The TG/HDL-c Lipid Ratio as a Cardiovascular Risk Marker in a Mexican Urban Middle-Class Population: Do We Need a Risk Score Tailored for Mexicans?

INTRODUCTION

Risk scores are essential in primary prevention to detect high-risk patients. The most common scores exclude hypertriglyceridemia and abdominal obesity in their risk assessment. We examined the triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-c) ratio as a cardiovascular (CV) risk marker in a middle-class urban Mexican population sample.

AIM

Our aim was to test the concept of a scoring system reflecting Mexican population characteristics.

METHODS

A total of 2602 healthy adults from the Lindavista primary prevention program were considered, evaluating gender, age, blood pressure, smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, lipid profile, and fasting glucose. According to the abnormality, a score from -3 to +3 was assigned.

RESULTS

The summation of eleven variables yielded the Lindavista score (LS), which was calibrated versus the TG/HDL ratio and ACC ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus score to determine its correlation with risk categories. The TG/HDL-c ratio had a linear correlation with LS and high-risk ACC ASCVD categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with LS and TG/HDL-c, the ACC ASCVD system underestimates the high-risk category. The high prevalence of obesity and lipid triad in the Mexican population requires a scale that considers those traits. The TG/HDL-c ratio is a practical, easy, and economical instrument to categorize risk in Mexicans.

The Effect of Catgut Embedding at Acupoints Versus Nonacupoints in Abdominal Obesity: Protocol for a Multicenter, Double-Blind, 16-Week Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide. The effective treatments for obesity mainly include diet, physical activity, behavioral intervention, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery, which all have certain limitations. As a specific type of acupuncture therapy, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) has gained substantial attention in the management of obesity in recent years. Previous studies suggested that ACE may be an effective obesity treatment. However, the evidence for the efficacy of ACE in abdominal obesity (AO) remains inadequate due to the paucity of high-quality studies.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the difference in the effectiveness of catgut embedding at acupoints and catgut embedding at nonacupoints in patients with AO and to further validate the efficacy and safety of ACE for AO.

METHODS

This is a multicenter, double-blind, 16-week randomized controlled trial. A total of 92 eligible participants with AO will be randomly divided into 2 groups (1:1 allocation ratio). The ACE group will receive catgut embedding at acupoints and the control group will receive catgut embedding at nonacupoints. The intervention will be performed every 2 weeks for a total of 6 sessions. Follow-up will be performed every 2 weeks for a total of 2 visits. The primary outcome is waist circumference. Secondary outcomes include body weight, BMI, hip circumference, and the visual analog scale of appetite. Upon the completion of the trial, we will evaluate the effect of catgut embedding at acupoints or nonacupoints on obesity indicators in patients with AO. For treatment outcomes, an intention-to-treat analysis will be performed.

RESULTS

The start of recruitment began in August 2019 and is expected to end in September 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

Although studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of ACE in the treatment of obesity, the evidence for the efficacy of ACE in AO remains insufficient due to the quality of the studies. This rigorous normative randomized controlled trial will verify the effect of catgut embedding at acupoints or nonacupoints in patients with AO. The findings will provide credible evidence as to whether ACE is an effective and safe treatment for AO.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800016947; https://tinyurl.com/2p82257p.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/46863.

Sex differences in the association between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity: a large-scale cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Dinner-bedtime interval was reported to be associated with general obesity. However, the association between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity is still unclear. This study was conducted to investigate the association of dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity.

METHODS

A total of 7600 participants from Henan rural cohort study were included in this study. A standard questionnaire was used to obtain the time of dinner and sleep by the way of face-to-face interview. Sleep quality of each participant was evaluated by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were used to assess the association between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity. Line regression was used to estimate the association between dinner-bedtime interval and lipid metabolism indexes. The mediation effect of sleep quality on the relationship between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity was evaluated.

RESULTS

In male, increased dinner-bedtime interval was associated with abdominal obesity risk (Adjusted OR: 1.084, 95% CI 1.009-1.164). Compared with participants with dinner-bedtime interval ≤ 2 h, those dinner-bedtime interval > 2 h had an elevated risk of abdominal obesity (Adjusted OR: 1.199, 95% CI 1.009-1.425). In addition, a positive linear dose-response relationship was detected between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity. Moreover, total cholesterol concentration increased by 0.047 mmol/L for each 1-h increase in dinner-bedtime interval (P = 0.019). In addition, sleep quality mediated 11.45% of the relationship between dinner-bedtime interval and abdominal obesity (adjusted mediation effect: - 0.010, 95% CI - 0.019 to - 0.003). But in female, these associations were not significant.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that increased dinner-bedtime interval was related to a higher risk of abdominal obesity in rural China and this association was differed by sex.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V: cross-sectional descriptive study.

Development and Validation of a Personalized, Sex-Specific Prediction Algorithm of Severe Atheromatosis in Middle-Aged Asymptomatic Individuals: The ILERVAS Study

Background

Although European guidelines recommend vascular ultrasound for the assessment of cardiovascular risk in low-to-moderate risk individuals, no algorithm properly identifies patients who could benefit from it. The aim of this study is to develop a sex-specific algorithm to identify those patients, especially women who are usually underdiagnosed.

Methods

Clinical, anthropometrical, and biochemical data were combined with a 12-territory vascular ultrasound to predict severe atheromatosis (SA: ≥ 3 territories with plaque). A Personalized Algorithm for Severe Atheromatosis Prediction (PASAP-ILERVAS) was obtained by machine learning. Models were trained in the ILERVAS cohort (n = 8,330; 51% women) and validated in the control subpopulation of the NEFRONA cohort (n = 559; 47% women). Performance was compared to the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) model.

Results

The PASAP-ILERVAS is a sex-specific, easy-to-interpret predictive model that stratifies individuals according to their risk of SA in low, intermediate, or high risk. New clinical predictors beyond traditional factors were uncovered. In low- and high-risk (L&H-risk) men, the net reclassification index (NRI) was 0.044 (95% CI: 0.020-0.068), and the integrated discrimination index (IDI) was 0.038 (95% CI: 0.029-0.048) compared to the SCORE. In L&H-risk women, PASAP-ILERVAS showed a significant increase in the area under the curve (AUC, 0.074 (95% CI: 0.062-0.087), p-value: < 0.001), an NRI of 0.193 (95% CI: 0.162-0.224), and an IDI of 0.119 (95% CI: 0.109-0.129).

Conclusion

The PASAP-ILERVAS improves SA prediction, especially in women. Thus, it could reduce the number of unnecessary complementary explorations selecting patients for a further imaging study within the intermediate risk group, increasing cost-effectiveness and optimizing health resources.

Clinical Trial Registration

[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT03228459].

Factors Associated With Myocardial Infarction Reoccurrence

BACKGROUND

As recurrent myocardial infarctions (MIRs) constitute almost a third of the annual incidence of myocardial infarction, identifying the traditional and novel variables related to MIR is important.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine modifiable cardiac risks, adiposity, symptoms associated with inflammation (fatigue, depression, sleep) and inflammatory cytokines, and MIR by sex and race.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, we recruited a convenience sample of adults (N = 156) discharged with first myocardial infarction or had MIR in the last 3 to 7 years. Surveys measured demographics, cardiac risk factors, depression, sleep, and fatigue. Anthropometric measures and cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were obtained. A maximum likelihood regression was calculated to predict MIR.

RESULTS

The sample included 57% male and 30% Black participants, and the mean (SD) age was 65 (12) years. The hsCRP was the only cytokine related to symptoms: fatigue ( r = 0.309, P < .001) and depression ( r = 0.255, P = .002). An MIR was not associated with race despite White participants reporting better sleep ( t146 = -3.25, P = .002), lower body mass index ( t154 = -3.49, P = .001), and fewer modifiable risk factors ( t152 = -2.05, P = .04). An MIR was associated with being male, higher hsCRP and tumor necrosis factor-α levels ( P < .001), and higher inflammatory symptoms of fatigue ( P = .04), depression ( P = .01), and poor sleep ( P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Further examination of biomarkers to understand the mechanisms associated with inflammatory symptoms of fatigue, depression, and poor sleep and MIR is needed.

Identifying factors associated with central obesity in school students using artificial intelligence techniques

OBJECTIVES

We, in a large survey of school students from Beijing, aimed to identify the minimal number of promising factors associated with central obesity and the optimal machine-learning algorithm.

METHODS

Using a cluster sampling strategy, this cross-sectional survey was conducted in Beijing in early 2022 among students 6-14 years of age. Information was gleaned via online questionnaires and analyzed by the PyCharm and Python.

RESULTS

Data from 11,308 children were abstracted for analysis, and 3,970 of children had central obesity. Light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) outperformed the other 10 models. The accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, area under the receiver operating characteristic of LGBM were 0.769982, 0.688312, 0.612323, 0.648098, and 0.825352, respectively. After a comprehensive evaluation, the minimal set involving top 6 important variables that can predict central obesity with descent performance was ascertained, including father's body mass index (BMI), mother's BMI, picky for foods, outdoor activity, screen, and sex. Validation using the deep-learning model indicated that prediction performance between variables in the minimal set and in the whole set was comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified and validated a minimal set of six important factors that can decently predict the risk of central obesity when using the optimal LGBM model relative to the whole set.

Effect of Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Abdominally Obese Female with Strong Appetite: Mixed Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Abdominal obesity (AO) is not only a health issue, but also a serious impact on women's work and life. The article of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) on AO has already been accepted to be published and showed significant effect. However, whether ACE is effective for abdominally obese female with strong appetite is still unclear.

METHODS

This is a mixed analysis of a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.Which was conducted in China between July 2018 and March 2020 (n = 101), while with the supplementary samples (n = 22) between April 2020 and June 2022. According to the appetite and intervention methods, 123 abdominally obese female were divided into ACE group with strong appetite (n = 27) and moderate appetite (n = 31), control (non-acupoint catgut embedding) group with strong appetite (n = 37) and moderate appetite (n = 28). Four subgroups were given a 12-week actual intervention period and a 4-week follow-up. Waist circumference (WC), appetite, body weight and BMI were applied and assessed at baseline and after 6, 12 and 16 weeks.

RESULTS

In this study, the mean onset age of abdominal obesity in females was 25.27 (8.19) years old. The longer duration of AO, the lower the appetite in females (p<0.05). At 12 and 16 weeks, ACE group with strong appetite showed significant decrease in WC and appetite than control group with strong appetite (p<0.01). However, ACE group with moderate appetite showed no significant decrease than control group with moderate appetite in WC, appetite, body weight and BMI (p>0.05). At 12 and 16 weeks, there was no significant difference in appetite between the ACE groups (strong and moderate appetite)(p>0.05), while there was still a difference between the control groups (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Younger abdominally obese female had a stronger appetite. ACE own the remarkable therapeutic effects for younger abdominally obese female and showed the perfect effect on appetite-reduction.

Psoriasis Severity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in a Representative US National Study

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is associated with metabolic syndrome; however, the relationship of psoriasis severity with individual cardiometabolic risk factors is not clear. There is a reporting gap between the cardiometabolic risks among patients with psoriasis and what has been reported in the literature using US samples.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to examine the disease burden of psoriasis and assess the associations of psoriasis severity and cardiometabolic risk factors in a nationally representative sample.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using the weighted pooled data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) 2007 through 2016. The NAMCS data were collected from US office-based physicians. Each physician was randomly assigned a specific week to report a sample of their cases. Patients were categorized as severe psoriasis if they were prescribed at least one systemic therapy. We used logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders to estimate the associations of psoriasis severity with individual cardiometabolic factors.

RESULTS

There were about 3.3 million office-based psoriasis visits per year with a mean age of 50 years, a female-to-male ratio of 1:1, and severe disease in 23%. We observed greater values of blood pressure, lipid profiles, and higher body mass index among patients with psoriasis, compared with patients without psoriasis. A higher proportion of the psoriasis patient group were overweight and obese (73.6% vs 62.9% in the non-psoriasis patient group). Compared to mild case groups, severe case groups tended to have a higher proportion of overweight/obese with a body mass index ≥  25 kg/m² (77% vs 73%). Obesity was weakly associated with psoriasis severity (adjusted odds ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.91 for mild disease and adjusted odds ratio = 1.42, 95% confidence interval 0.80-2.52 for severe cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiometabolic factors are related health issues in psoriasis, and obesity is associated with greater psoriasis severity.

Association of Socioeconomic Status With Risk Factor Target Achievements and Use of Secondary Prevention After Myocardial Infarction

Importance

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor long-term prognosis after myocardial infarction (MI). Plausible underlying mechanisms have received limited study.

Objective

To assess whether SES is associated with risk factor target achievements or with risk-modifying activities, including cardiac rehabilitation programs, monitoring, and drug therapies, during the first year after MI.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study included a population-based consecutive sample of 30 191 one-year survivors of first-ever MI who were 18 to 76 years of age, resided in the general community in Sweden, were followed up until their routine 11- to 15-month revisit, and were registered in the national registry Swedish Web-System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies (SWEDEHEART) from 2006 through 2013. Data analyses were performed from January to August 2020.

Exposure

Individual-level SES by proxy disposable income quintile. Secondary exposures were educational level and marital status.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs for achieved risk factor targets at the 1-year revisit and for use of guideline-recommended secondary prevention activities.

Results

The study comprised 30 191 participants (72.9% men) with a mean (SD) age of 63.0 (8.6) years. Overall, higher SES was associated with better target achievements and use of most secondary prevention. The highest (vs lowest) income quintile was associated with achieved smoking cessation (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.78-2.35), target blood pressure levels (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.27), and glycated hemoglobin levels (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.19-2.06). The highest-income quintile was associated not only with participation in physical training programs (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 2.11-2.46) and patient educational sessions (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 2.12-2.47) in cardiac rehabilitation but also with more monitoring of lipid profiles (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08-1.33) and intensification of statin therapy (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.35) during the first year after MI. One year after MI, the highest-income quintile was associated with persistent use of statins (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.45), high-intensity statins (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.21), and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.08-1.49).

Conclusions and Relevance

Findings indicated that, in a publicly financed health care system, higher SES was associated with better achievement of most risk factor targets, programs aimed at lifestyle change, and evidence-based drug therapies after MI. Observed differences in secondary prevention activity may be a factor in higher long-term risk of recurrent disease among individuals with low SES.

Association of obesity indices with in-hospital and 1-year mortality following acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

According to the "obesity paradox", adults with obesity have a survival advantage following acute coronary syndrome, compared with those without obesity. Previous studies focused on peripheral obesity and whether this advantage is conferred by central obesity is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe the association of peripheral and central obesity indices with risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality following acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Gulf COAST is a prospective ACS registry that enrolled 4044 patients age ≥18 years from January 2012 through January 2013, across 29 hospitals in four Middle Eastern countries. Associations of indices of peripheral obesity (body-mass index, [BMI]) and central obesity (waist circumference [WC] and waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]) with mortality following ACS were analyzed in logistic regression models (odds ratio, 95% CI) with and without adjustment for Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score.

RESULTS

Of 3882 patients analyzed (mean age: 60 years; 33.3% women [n = 1294]), the prevalence of obesity was 34.5% (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m²), 72.2% (WC ≥ 94.0 cm [men] or ≥80.0 cm [women]) and 90.0% (WHtR ≥ 0.5). In adjusted models, deciles of obesity indices showed higher risk of mortality at extreme versus intermediate deciles (U-shaped). When defined by conventional cut-offs, peripheral obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 versus 18.5-29.9 kg/m²) showed inverse association with risk of in-hospital mortality (0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.99; P = 0.04; central obesity showed trend toward reduced mortality). In contrast, for risk of 1-year mortality, all indices showed inverse association. Obesity, defined by presence of all three indices, versus nonobesity showed inverse association with risk of 1-year mortality (0.52; 95% CI, 0.35-0.75; P = 0.001). Results were similar among men and women.

CONCLUSION

The degree of obesity paradox following ACS depends on the obesity index and follow-up time. Obesity indices may aid in risk stratification of mortality following ACS.