Circulation November 8, 2016 Issue

 

Dr. Carolyn Lam:

 

 

 

 

 

  Welcome to circulation on the run. Your weekly podcast summary and backstage pass to the journal and its editors. I'm Dr. Carolyn Lam associate editor for the National heart center and Duke National University of Singapore. Our podcast is really going around the world, and today's feature interview comes to you live from China. Where we will be discussing the prediction of ten year risks of cardiovascular disease in the Chinese population. So now to all our Chinese colleagues out there: Chinese dialect

    First here's your summary of this week's journal. The first study challenges the assumption that all patients with vascular disease are at high risk of recurrent vascular events. First author Dr. Kasenbrud corresponding author Dr. Viceren and colleagues form the University Medical center Utric in the Netherlands, provide new data on the estimation of ten year risk of recurrent vascular events and a secondary prevention population. In other words, in patients with established cardiovascular disease they applied the second manifestations of arterial disease or 'smart' score for the ten year risk prediction of myocardial infarction, stoke or vascular death in more than six thousand-nine hundred Dutch patients with vascular diseases ranging for coronary artery disease, cerebral-vascular disease, peripheral artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and poly-vascular disease. Predictors included in the SMART risk score included age, sex, current smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HGL cholesterol, presence of coronary artery disease, cerebral-vascular disease, peripheral artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, estimated glomariaol fruition rate, high sensitivity CRP and years since the first manifestation of vascular disease. They further externally validated the risk score in more than eighteen thousand four hundred patients with various types of vascular disease fro the TNT ideals Sparkle and Capri trials.

    The overall findings was that the external performance of the SMART risk score was reasonable apart from over-estimation of risk in patients which a ten year risk of more than forty percent. What was striking was the substantial variation in the estimated ten year risk. The median ten year risk of a reoccurring major vascular event was 17 percent but this varied for less than 10 percent in 18 percent to more than 30 percent in 22 percent of patients.

    The authors further estimated residual risk at guideline recommend targets by applying the relative risk reductions form meta-analysis to estimated risks for targets for systolic pressure, LDL, smoking, physical activity and use of anti-thrombotic agents. They found that if all modifiable risk factors were at guideline recommend targets only half of the patients would have ten year risk of less than 10 percent. Even with optimal treatment many patients with vascular disease appear to remain at more than a 20 percent or even more than 30 percent of a ten year risk.

    The take home message is that a single secondary prevention strategy for all patients with vascular disease may not be appropriate. Instead novel risk stratification approaches may be helpful to individualize secondary prevention by identifying high risk patient which may derive the greatest benefit from novel interventions.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The next study provides experimental evidence that an indigenous-gastro transmitter hydrogen sulfide may potentially be a therapeutic target in diabetic patients with cardiovascular diseases. In this paper by first author Dr. Chen, corresponding author Dr.Kisher and Colleagues from the Louis Cat's school of medicine Temple University in Philadelphia. Authors aim to evaluate the role of hydrogen sulfide deficiency in diabetes induced bone marrow cell dysfunction and to examine the therapeutic effects of restoring hydrogen sulfide production in diabetic bone marrow cells on ischemic high limb injury in diabetic DBDB mice. They further specifically investigated the effects of hydrogen sulfide deficiency on the nitric oxide pathways under conditions of high glucose. They found that bone marrow cells for diabetic DBDB mice had decreased hydrogen sulfide production and lower levels cystathonine gamma lyaze which is the primary enzyme that produces hydrogen sulfide in the cardiovascular system. Administration of a stable hydrogen sulfide donor and over expression of cystathonine gamma lyaze in diabetic bone marrow cells restore their functional and restorative properties. Further more they demonstrated that the therapeutic actions of hydrogen sulfide were mediated by nitric oxide pathway involving endothelial nitric oxide synthase PT495.

    In summary these results support the hypothesis that hydrogen sulfide deficiency plays critical role in diabetes induced bone marrow cell dysfunction and suggests that modulating hydrogen sulfide production in diabetic bone marrow cells may have transformational value in treating critical limbs ischemia.

    The next study reinforces the importance of hypertension as a critical risk factor for inter-cerebral hemorrhage, and suggests that Blacks and Hispanics may be a particularly high risk. In this study by DR. Walsh and colleagues for the University of Cincinnati, authors conducted the largest case controlled study to date on treated and untreated hypertension as a risk factor for inter-cerebral hemorrhage. They also investigated whether there was variation by ethnicity. The ethnic racial variations of inter-cerebral hemorrhage or eriche study is a prospective multi-center case controlled study of inter-cerebral hemorrhage among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. Cases were enrolled from 42 recruitment cites, controls were matched cases one to one by age, sex, ethnicity and metropolitan area. A total of 958 white, 880 black and 766 Hispanic cases of inter-cerebral hemorrhage were enrolled. Untreated hypertension was more highly prevalent in Blacks at almost 44 percent and Hispanics at almost 47 percent compared to whites at 33 percent. Treated hypertension was a significant independent risk factor and untreated hypertension was substantially greater risk factor for all three ethnic groups and across all locations. There was a striking interaction between ethnicity and risk of inter-cerebral hemorrhage, such that untreated hypertension conferred a greater risk of inter-cerebral hemorrhage in Blacks and Hispanics relative to Whites.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The nest study provides the first prospective multi-centered data on mortality and morbidity in rheumatic heart disease from low and middle income countries. First author Dr. Zulky, corresponding author Dr. Mayoci and authors from Gertrude hospital and University of Cape Town in South Africa present the results of two year follow up of the global rheumatic heart disease registry or remedy study in 3343 children and adults with rheumatic heart disease from 14 low and middle income countries. They found that although patients were young with a median age of only 28 years the 2 year case fatality rate was high at almost 17 percent. The median age at death was 28.7 years. Mortality was higher in low income and low middle income regions compared to upper middle income countries. Independent predictors of death was severe valve disease, more advanced functional class, atrial fibrillation and older age. Where as post primary education and female sex were associated with a lower risk of death. The authors carefully noted that apart from age and gender the independent risk factors for mortality such as severity of valve disease heart failure, atrial fibrillation and low education were all modifiable and thus they called for programs focused on the early detection and treatment on clinical rheumatic heart disease.

    Well that's it for the summaries, now lets go over to China

    For our feature interview today we are going all the way to Beijing at the great Wall meeting where we will be meeting authors as well as editors. So here we have first and corresponding author Professor {Dong Fen Gu} and co-author Professor {Sherliang} both from {Fu Y} hospital Chinese academy of medical sciences in Beijing. Welcome

  Dr.Gu: Welcome we are so delighted to be interviewed by you

  Dr. Carolyn Lam:

  Thank you so much we are so excited to be talking about your paper predicting the ten year risks of cardiovascular disease in the Chinese population. And here we have as well editor in chief Dr. Joe Hill as well as Dr. Amid Kira digital strategies editor and associate editor. Gentlemen how is it in Beijing? And I hear that you have a Chinese greeting for everyone as well.

  Joe Hill: {Ni how} and {nuchme and senchmen}

  Amid Kira: I can't top that but I agree with what Joe said

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: Dr. Gu, could you please tell us what is it that is so different about cardiovascular disease in China compared to what we heard about in the western world.

  Dr.Gu: Okay cardiovascular disease is both leading cause of death in China and in United States as well in European countries. However the patterns for components of cardiovascular disease including coronary arteries and stroke are still quite different in the Chinese populations compared united states. For example there are coronary arteries mortality rate in the united states is along the 100 thousand per year and this is the first leading cause of death in the united states. And for stroke the annual mortality rate is along 36 per 100 thousand in the united states populations. However in china the stroke mortality rate among Chinese populations is around the 160 per 100 thousand, so that almost 3.5 to 4 as high as in untied states. Obviously for our lifestyle in including battery behavior quite different you can easily identify one kind of difference in the united states and the Europe restaurants from Chinese restaurants and some western style restaurants you can figure it out.

   

 

 

 

  And another example, smoking rate is major component for risk of cardiovascular disease it is very high in Chinese adult men. It over 50 percent right now but in the united states in the past 50 years it declined immensely. And around maybe less than around 20 percent and from the previous experiment from studies by Dr. Liu Chin from and my colleague Dr.WU they used the questions for predictions of coronary arteries compared to equations and also use the similar prediction model compares that its chemical cardiovascular disease from the united states population and the Chinese population. That to over estimation if we use the united states produced this kind of equation. So based on this kind of scenario we based on Chinese long term larger scales cohort to precede and study our own prediction model.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: Wow that is really fascinating Dr. Gu and I really could not agree with you more because I sort of trained in the united states for quite some time and then I moved back to Singapore and saw for myself in Asia the tremendously high rates of stroke. I was also very struck by the relative youth of the patients suffering cardiovascular disease and the differences in risk factors, the smoking but not just that, obesity is almost defined on a different scale in our relatively sized smaller Chinese population compared to that in the western. Congratulations to you and your team for a successful amazing effort. Could you or Dr. Yang now just let us know what are your main findings.

  Dr. Yang:

 

 

 

 

  Well I think there are 2 major finding for our work. First we developed a new prediction risk model you know after analysis is for high risk score or equations released by AJ and ACC and is some other risk scores. We included 6 conditional risk factors in combination with our previous knowledge that included age, treated or untreated ISBP, total classical, HDLC current smoking and diabetes. So this traditional risk factors were set up as a base model and then we use the predefined statistical to include new additional variables they were Chinese special elements. Finally in our model there were rates as constraints and geographic region which means northern part versus the southern part in China and also organization is rural or urban area. And finally the forth one is family history as a CVD so this for additional variables in our model suggest that we maybe as a Chinese prediction and equations has something special. For example we feel more attention for central obesity in primary prevention in Chinese populations and also you know the norther part and the southern part there are large differences in the risk profiles. And so maybe according to our risk prediction model we pay more attentions for the residence living in northern part in China.

    And then for the second points I think we found that PCE equation which shows for equations was not appropriate to predict ten year risk of in Chinese populations. For example in our revelation cohort we found that our model just slightly over predicts severity risk by 17 percent in Chinese man but when we use the PCE models released form AHA the over-estimation come to 50 percent so maybe equations from western populations are not appropriate to Chinese populations.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: Thank you so much Dr. Yang I mean those are just such important findings applicable to a huge population in china, like you said. And just as important as the second point that the pooled equations derived from western populations may not be the most appropriate for certain other ethnic populations. I think that a very important message and that why we are so proud to be publishing this in Circulation. Could I ask then are you applying these new equations in your personal clinical practice?

  Dr.Gu:

  Risk assessment is a fundamental components for prevention of ASSVD. In Chinese we question {turn the PA on} provide a valuable to identify high risk individuals in Chinese populations. And not with just complicated [inaudible 00:18:02] for further analysis. And propose three levels of groups of risk stratification could be identified by cut off 5 percent and 10 percent. So lower risk individuals with predicted activity risk of less than 5 percent should be offered lifestyle wise to maintain the lower risk status. While the moderate risk individual is predicted risk of 5 to 10 percentage for intensive therapeutic lifestyle change wit drug therapy if necessary. For the high individual risk high or large 10 percent teheraph of clinical aliment taken account for physicians recommendation should be required with therapy for the lifestyle modification. Then annually clinic up, including an echocardiographic information for carotid artery back and even for outer [inaudible 00:19:09] CT examinations for coronary artery are recommended. Also blood pressure, lipids, glucose measurement if necessary are suggest according to Chinese guideline. While cardiovascular disease prevention as well as for the epidemic of this kind a lines. For ACVD patients those are different kinds of risk assessment we could know whether their risk profile had been improved or be progressed so that appropriate clinical elements should be taken in clinical practice.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: Thank you very much Dr. Gu so that just show that these findings are immediately clinically applicable and I trust that means you're suing it in your clinics too, and once again were so happy to be publishing this in Circulation so in the rest of the time in going to now direct questions at Joe and Amid.

    How's China been? How are your chopstick skills and any word on how Circulation is being received there?

  Joe Hill: Well Carolyn its a delight to be here this is a bustling media that get better and better every year. In about 2 hours we have our first ever Circulation session, we brought several editors here to discuss the types of content that we are looking to publish, the type of work across prevention and population and electrophysiology of heart failure. This is an extraordinary media that is now internationally acclaimed and as we've heard here, the face of cardiovascular disease in Asia is changing. And as you pointed out 60percent of the human race lives in Asia and we want to do everything we can to be here on the ground, in Asia trying to address this curve that is already present and is worsening by the day.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: Amid, you know you've seen the latest statistic on our podcasts and you highlighted that we have quite a number of listeners over there as well. Would you like to tell me how this is all blending it to the digital strategies and anything else you might want to highlight?

  Amid Kira: Sure its been an incredible meeting and we get to meet great colleagues like our colleagues today on this podcast and learning so much from this meeting. Our podcast as you pointed out quite a sizable and growing cadre of people in Asia and Japan and China who are listening and we truly want to enhance that as Joe mentioned with the large splurge of cardiovascular disease and the great science that is going on here. Want to make sure that we are able to be apart of that conversation and interact with researcher and clinitions here. In addition to podcast, we are exploring some other options involving social media, specifically in China so stayed tuned in how those develop but we certainly appreciate the importance of being her and interacting where so much of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular science is occurring.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: That's so great. Joe or Amid now there's a specific we would like to highlight to our listeners the doodle, either of you want to pick that up a bit about blipping the doodle?

  Amid Kira: So there is as you know Circulation now has this doodle where we change it periodically and its sort of a fun themed thing. Right now I think it Halloween and we've had several other ones that people have designed to sort of keep thing fresh and light and interesting. There's a new app called blippar which you can download from iTunes or android stores and you can essentially scroll that over with your phone with the doodle and that will take you to new content either table of contents of videos, different kinds of content that it can navigate you to. So I hope people will not only enjoy the doodle kind of anticipate what's next in terms of seasons but will take the time t blip the doodle when they get a chance.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: That great and that blippar- B l I P P A R. You really c should check it out, anyone who is listening to this really check it out you'll be floored. Joe could I just turn the mic to you for any last words about the global outreach of Circulation, I mean its just so amazing that you're there in China

  Joe Hill: Well heart disease Carolyn knows no boundaries nor does Circulation. There was a day when cardiovascular disease was largely an issue in the developed world that is long since gone and that's why the study that we are talking about today with these authors is so important because the face of cardiovascular disease is different than in the west, the ways in which it is  evolving id different here than in the west and I like many others foresee an increase a significant increase in the types and prevalence of heart disease here in Asia. for all the reasons that we have been talking about, hypertension, obesity, type two diabetes, smoking the environment all of these challenges I fear are going to lead to a substantial increase in the prevalence of heart disease in Asia and that why we're here on the ground with Circulation in Asia that's why we have one of our major leaders Chong Shong Ma who is here in Beijing. Circulation is in China everyday, it’s in Beijing everyday to try and address this problem.

  Dr. Carolyn Lam: And you heard it from our editor and chief, so thank you everyone for listening to this episode of Circulation on run. Tune in next week.