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Working hours, including the number and the arrangement thereof – such as shift work, night work, and quick returns – are classic topics in research on work environment and health. The struggle for working time reduction and the eight-hour work day is also one of the oldest fights of the labor movement, dating back to the 19th century (1). International Workers’ Day, celebrated annually on 1 May, has its origin in the Haymarket Affair, a rally in support of a strike for the eight-hour work day at the Haymarket Square in Chicago, USA, on 4 May 1886. At the rally, a riot broke out and a bomb exploded, killing several workers and police officers. In the aftermath, the State of Illinois prosecuted labor movement activists. Although the person who throw the bomb was never identified and the circumstances of the attack remained unclear, four labor movement activists, including August Spies, the editor of the German-American newspaper Arbeiter-Zeitung, were executed by hanging on 11 November 1887. A fifth activist died by suicide in prison (2). When the International Labour Organization (ILO) was established as an agency of the newly created League of Nations (the predecessor of today’s United Nations) after World War I in 1919, one of its main aims was the regulation and reduction of working time (1). The demand for the 8-hour work day and 48-hour work week was even included in the peace treaty of Versailles (Part XIII, Section II, Article 427) that was signed on 28 June 1919 following World War I (3, 4). Although working hours have been greatly reduced in many high-income countries since the 19th century, particularly in Europe, the discussion about working hours remains topical, as can be seen by the recent debate about a 4-day working week (5, 6). In South-East and East Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, where working hours >48 hours per week are still widely prevalent, health concerns of such long working hours are an important topic of discussion (7, 8). Notably, the Japanese language has coined two terms: karōshi for death due to overwork (usually of cardiovascular causes) and karōjisatsu for death by suicide due to overwork (9). At the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, we regularly receive papers from researchers in Asia examining the health effects of long working hours (10–12). This issue includes a paper from a German research group on the association between night shift work and risk of cardiovascular disease (13). I use this opportunity to reflect briefly in this editorial on research on working hours and cardiovascular health. In the May issue (number 4) of the Journal, as part of our 50-year anniversary special publication series (14, 15), there will be a much more detailed account on what we have learned so far on working hours and health. Long working hours and cardiovascular disease In 2015, Kivimäki et al (16) published a seminal paper on long working hours and cardiovascular disease for the Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Working Population (IPD-Work) Consortium that showed an association of long working hours with an increased risk of both ischemic heart disease and stroke (16). The association was stronger for stroke than ischemic heart disease (pooled relative risks 1.33 versus 1.13). Furthermore, for stroke, but not ischemic heart disease, the analyses suggested an exposure–response pattern. Thus, the longer the working hours, the greater the risk of stroke. From 2017 to 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) and ILO conducted a project on the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury (17, 18) that included systematic reviews on the association of long working hours and risk of ischemic heart disease (19) and stroke (20). Results were similar to those reported by the IPD-Work Consortium in 2015. Long working hours, defined as ≥55 hours per week, were associated with a small increased risk of ischemic heart disease (pooled risk ratio 1.17) (19) and a larger increased risk of stroke (pooled risk ratio 1.35) (20). Based on these risk estimates and estimates on the country-specific prevalence of long working hours, the WHO and ILO estimated that, in 2016, globally 745 194 deaths were attributable to long working hours, with the largest burden in South-East Asia (17, 18, 21). A summary of the WHO/ILO joint estimates project has been published as a discussion paper in our Journal (22), together with an editorial (23). Obviously, the estimate of approximately 750 000 annual deaths due to long working hours is based on several assumptions, including that the epidemiological studies` estimates indicate a causal association between long working hours and cardiovascular outcomes and that data on the worldwide prevalence of long working hours are valid. Kivimäki and colleagues (24) expressed concerns about the interpretation that there is sufficient evidence for harmfulness of long working hours with regard to ischemic heart disease. Among other things, the authors were concerned about residual confounding (eg, by health-related behaviors, although it is debated whether they are mainly confounders, for which one should control, or mediators, for which one should not control (25)). They also presented analyses of data that suggested that socioeconomic position might be an important effect modifier and that the harmful effect of long working hours on risk of ischemic heart disease may be limited to workers of low socioeconomic position. As socioeconomic position is linked to the type of work the workers are doing, the possible effect modification by socioeconomic position could also mean that other, unmeasured working conditions may modify the association between long working hours and health. In other words, in addition to the length of the working hours, what happens during these working hours might also be important. In Denmark, Hannerz and colleagues (26, 27) attempted to replicate the analyses on long working hours and ischemic heart disease and stroke using large-scale register data. With regard to ischemic heart disease, they did not find an increased risk with long working hours [rate ratio (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94–1.21 for >48 versus 32–40 hours] (26). When stratified by socioeconomic position, long working hours were not associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease among workers of high, medium and unknown socioeconomic position, but there was an increased risk among workers of low socioeconomic position that worked long hours (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05–1.53). Although the interaction `long working hours × socioeconomic position` was not statistically significant, this increased risk among workers of low socioeconomic position is in agreement with the analyses by Kivimäki et al (24). With regard to stroke, Hannerz et al (27) did not find an increased risk for all types of stroke combined among those with long working hours, however, they reported an association between long working hours and increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. This result was recently replicated in an analysis of the French CONSTANCES study (28) where exposure to long working hours during the past ten years was, in the adjusted model, associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke but not ischemic stroke. One can summarize that during the past ten years, several large-scale studies and meta-analyses on long working hours and cardiovascular outcomes have been published. Whereas the WHO has concluded that there is sufficient evidence for harmfulness for the association between long working hours and ischemic heart disease and stroke (19–21), other studies point to possible effect modification by socioeconomic position (24, 26) with regard to ischemic heart disease and the need to distinguish between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke (27, 28). Shift work, night shift work and cardiovascular disease In 2018, Torquati et al (29) published a systematic review and meta-analysis that showed an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among shift workers. For those working shifts for five years, each additional five-year period of shift work was associated with a 7% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Night shift work has been of particular interest for cancer research (30) but might also be relevant with regard to cardiovascular diseases. In their recent review and meta-analysis, Su et al (31) reported that night shift work was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (pooled estimate 1.15, 95% CI 1.03–1.29). However, only four studies were included in this review. In 2022, a Swedish research group published two papers on night shift work from a large sample of healthcare workers in Stockholm, one on cerebrovascular disease and the other on ischemic heart disease. Bigert et al (32) reported that frequent night shifts and frequent consecutive night shifts were associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, including stroke. Kader et al (33) reported that permanent night shifts and frequent night shifts were associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease. In Denmark, Vestergaard et al (34)examined the association between night shift work and ischemic heart disease in a large-cohort of healthcare workers with day-to-day payroll information. The results were less clear than those of Kader et al (33): male, but not female, healthcare workers with night work had an increased risk of ischemic heart disease compared to day-time workers. The paper by Jankowiak et al (13) in the current issue of the Journal examined night shift work and risk of cardiovascular disease in a population-based cohort in the city of Mainz and Mainz-Bingen in Germany (13). The hazard ratios for low, middle, and high night shift work were 1.19, 1.32, and 1.14, respectively, compared to no night shift work, in the most-adjusted model. An important strength of the study is the comprehensive clinical examination of the participants, both at baseline and follow-up. An important limitation is the very low number of cases in the exposure groups during the five-year follow-up. Unsurprisingly, the CI of all estimates were wide and included unity and, thus, were far away from being statistically significant. The uncertainty of the estimates do not allow firm conclusions on the results. However, the estimates from this study can be included in meta-analyses, which then may provide us with more insight on the role of night shift work on risk of cardiovascular disease. Important challenges for future research on working time and cardiovascular disease will include better use of electronic working time registration systems that will allow a more precise measurement of exposure to long working hours and the frequency and type of shift work and night shift work (35, 36). It will also be important to conceptually clarify whether health behaviors that are hazardous to cardiovascular health – such as certain dietary patterns, lack of leisure time physical activity, or smoking – are confounders or mediators, or both, for the association between working time and cardiovascular disease. This clarification is key to correctly handling data on these health behaviors in the statistical models. Finally, examining the relations of the different working time arrangements with the contents of work conducted during these arrangements might be fruitful for a better understanding of the contribution of work to cardiovascular disease. Conflict of interest statement Reiner Rugulies was involved in both the IPD-Work Consortium and the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury project. References 1. International Labour Organization (ILO). International Labour Standards on Working time [Website]. 2024. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/subjects-covered-by-international-labour-standards/working-time/lang--en/index.htm. (Accessed: 26 Februar 2024). 2. Chicago Historical Society and the Trustees of Northwestern University. The dramas of Haymarket [Website]. 2000. Available from: https://www.chicagohistoryresources.org/dramas/. (Accessed: 26 February 2024). 3. Yale Law School. The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomay. The Versailles Treaty June 28, 1919: Part XIII [Website]. 2008. Available from: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/partxiii.asp. (Accessed: 2 March 2024). 4. International Labour Office. Official Bulletin, Volume I, April 1919 - August 1920. 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Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the first cause of death globally, with huge costs worldwide. Most cases of CVD could be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors. Among these factors, there is physical and amateur sports activity (PASA), which has a linear negative correlation with the risk of CVD. Nevertheless, attempts to encourage PASA, as exercise prescription programmes, achieved little impact at the community-wide level. A new frontier to promote PASA is represented by mobile health tools, such as exergaming, mobile device apps, health wearables, GPS/GIS and virtual reality. Nevertheless, there has not yet been any evident turnabout in patient active involvement towards CVD prevention, and inactivity rates are even increasing. This study aims at framing the state of the art of the literature about the use of m-health in supporting PASA, as a user-centric innovation strategy, to promote co-production health policies aiming at CVD prevention.Methods: A mixed-method systematic literature review was conducted in the fields of health and healthcare management to highlight the intersections between PASA promotion and m-health tools in fostering co-produced services focused on CVD prevention. The literature has been extracted by the PRISMA logic application. The resulting sample has been first statistically described by a bibliometric approach and then further investigated with a conceptual analysis of the most relevant contributions, which have been qualitatively analysed.Results: We identified 2,295 studies, on which we ran the bibliometric analysis. After narrowing the research around the co-production field, we found 10 papers relevant for the concept analysis of contents. The interest about the theme has increased in the last two decades, with a high prevalence of contributions from higher income countries and those with higher CVD incidence. The field of research is highly multi-disciplinary; most of documents belong to the medical field, with only a few interconnections with the technology and health policy spheres. Although the involvement of patients is recognized as fundamental for CVD prevention through PASA, co-design schemes are still lacking at the public management level.Conclusions: While the link between the subjects of motor activity, medicine and technology is clear, the involvement of citizens in the service delivery process is still underinvestigated, especially the issue concerning how "value co-creation" could effectively be applied by public agencies. In synthesis, the analysis of the role of co-production as a system coordination method, which is so important in designing and implementing preventive care, is still lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intended to review the data regarding the multipotential effects of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT 2) inhibitors, their cardiovascular effects, and their mechanism of action. The SGLT2 inhibitors exert their beneficial antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects through increased glucose excretion from the kidneys, blood pressure and weight lowering, vasodilation and other potential beneficial effects. They have been used for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as well as in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary artery disease (CAD),and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). To get a better understanding of their mechanism of action for their multiple cardiovascular protective effects, a Medline search of the English language literature was conducted between 2015 and February 2022 and 46 pertinent papers were selected. The analysis of data clearly demonstrated that the use of the SGLT2 inhibitors besides their antidiabetic effects, provide additional protection against CVD, CAD, and HFrEF and HFpEF, and death, but not stroke, in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Therefore, they should be preferably used for the treatment of patients with T2DM with preexisting CVD, CAD, and HFrEF and HFpEF [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the burden of premature myocardial infarction (MI) is high in Malaysia, direct evidence on the determinants of MI in this multi-ethnic population remains sparse. Objective: The Malaysian Acute Vascular Events Risk (MAVERIK) study is a retrospective case-control study established to investigate the genomic, lipid-related, and other determinants of acute MI in Malaysia. In this paper, we report the study protocol and early results. Methods: By June 2019, we had enrolled approximately 2500 patients with their first MI and 2500 controls without cardiovascular disease, who were frequency-matched by age, sex, and ethnicity, from 17 hospitals in Malaysia. For each participant, serum and whole blood have been collected and stored. Clinical, demographic, and behavioral information has been obtained using a 200-item questionnaire. Results: Tobacco consumption, a history of diabetes, hypertension, markers of visceral adiposity, indicators of lower socioeconomic status, and a family history of coronary disease were more prevalent in cases than in controls. Adjusted (age and sex) logistic regression models for traditional risk factors indicated that current smoking (odds ratio [OR] 4.11, 95% CI 3.56-4.75; P<.001), previous smoking (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.12-1.60; P=.001), a history of high blood pressure (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.86-2.44; P<.001), a history of diabetes mellitus (OR 2.72, 95% CI 2.34-3.17; P<.001), a family history of coronary heart disease (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.55; P=.009), and obesity (BMI >30 kg/m2; OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.34; P=.009) were associated with MI in age- and sex-adjusted models. Conclusions: The MAVERIK study can serve as a useful platform to investigate genetic and other risk factors for MI in an understudied Southeast Asian population. It should help to hasten the discovery of disease-causing pathways and inform regionally appropriate strategies that optimize public health action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) data improves the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of relative perfusion imaging with nuclear medicine. Cardiac-specific gamma cameras allow measurement of MBF with SPECT. This paper reviews the evidence supporting the use of SPECT to measure myocardial blood flow (MBF). Studies have evaluated SPECT MBF in large animal models and compared it in humans with invasive angiographic measurements and against the clinical standard of PET MBF. The repeatability of SPECT MBF has been determined in both single-site and multi-center trials. SPECT MBF has excellent correlation with microspheres in an animal model, with the number of stenoses and fractional flow reserve, and with PET-derived MBF. The inter-user coefficient of variability is ∼20% while the COV of test-retest MBF is ∼30%. SPECT MBF improves the sensitivity and specificity of the detection of multi-vessel disease over relative perfusion imaging and provides incremental value in predicting adverse cardiac events. SPECT MBF is a promising technique for providing clinically valuable information in the assessment of coronary artery disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile acids (BAs) and bilirubin, primarily known for their role in lipid metabolism and as heme catabolite, respectively, have been found to have diverse effects on various physiological processes, including oxidative stress and inflammation. Indeed, accumulating evidence showed that the interplay between BAs and bilirubin in these processes involves intricate regulatory mechanisms mediated by specific receptors and signaling pathways under certain conditions and in specific contexts. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) due to its role in inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and other risk factors. In the cardiovascular (CV) system, recent studies have suggested that BAs and bilirubin have some opposite effects related to oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms, but this area of research is still under investigation. This review aims to introduce BAs and bilirubin from a biochemical and physiological point of view, emphasizing their potential protective or detrimental effects on CVDs. Moreover, clinical studies that have assessed the association between BAs/bilirubin and CVD were examined in depth to better interpret the possible link between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about historical context of working hours, particularly the fight for the eight-hour workday and its relevance to International Workers' Day. Topic include recent research on the association between long working hours and cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing findings from studies conducted by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization, as well as subsequent analyses addressing socioeconomic factors and specific types of cardiovascular outcomes.

Predicting cardiovascular disease has been a challenging task, as assessing samples based on a single view of information may be insufficient. Therefore, in this paper, we focus on the challenge of predicting cardiovascular disease using multi-view cardiac data. However, multi-view cardiac data is usually difficult to collect and label. Based on this motivation, learning an effective predictive model on sample-efficient and label-efficient multi-view cardiac data is urgently needed. To address the aforementioned issues, we propose a multi-view learning method: (i) our method utilizes graph learning to establish and extract relationships between data, enabling learning from a small number of labeled data and a small number of samples; (ii) our method integrates features from multiple views to utilize complementary information in the data; (iii) for data without a provided graph of relationships between samples, we utilize the mechanism of transformers to learn the relationships between samples in a data-driven manner. We validate the effectiveness of our method on real heart disease datasets. • Our method considers multi-view cardiac data to provide comprehensive and accurate information for diagnosis. • Our method overcomes the limitations of sample-efficient and label-efficient data. • Our method captures global relationships between subjects and achieves high diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) stands as the most widespread severe illness impacting human health on a global scale. Forecasting CVDs in advance becomes more and more crucial as CVDs increase exponentially every day. Deep Learning (DL) algorithms are selfadaptive to recognize patterns and analyze data more effectively in CVD prediction. Over the past few decades, many researchers and practitioners have examined different predictive algorithms, but most of those studies are based on small-sized datasets like less than 10,000 patient records. The major shortcomings of earlier research lie in its reliance on small-sized datasets, elevating the risk of overfitting. In contrast, our study addresses this limitation by utilizing Kaggle's cardiac dataset encompassing 70,000 patients and 11 features. The primary objective of this study is to minimize the risk of overfitting and accurately predict CVD by showcasing the effectiveness of using comprehensive datasets. This paper proposes a hybrid DL methodology by utilizing a Extra Tree Classifier with Artificial Bee Colony optimized Recurrent Neural Network (ETC-ABC-RNN) for accurate classification of CVDs with 96% accuracy. By measuring accuracy, precision, recall, and F1, the efficiency of the system is demonstrated. The outcomes demonstrated that the suggested methodology surpassed various methods in predicting heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing fast-paced technology trend has brought forth ceaseless transformation. In this regard, cloud computing has long proven to be the paramount deliverer of services such as computing power, software, networking, storage, and databases on a pay-per-use basis. The cloud is a big proponent of the internet of things (IoT), furnishing the computation and storage requisite to address internet-of-things applications. With the proliferating IoT devices triggering a continual data upsurge, the cloud–IoT interaction encounters latency, bandwidth, and connectivity restraints. The inclusion of the decentralized and distributed fog computing layer amidst the cloud and IoT layer extends the cloud's processing, storage, and networking services close to end users. This hierarchical edge–fog–cloud model distributes computation and intelligence, yielding optimal solutions while tackling constraints like massive data volume, latency, delay, and security vulnerability. The healthcare domain, warranting time-critical functionalities, can reap benefits from the cloud–fog–IoT interplay. This research paper propounded a fog-assisted smart healthcare system to diagnose heart or cardiovascular disease. It combined a fuzzy inference system (FIS) with the recurrent neural network model's variant of the gated recurrent unit (GRU) for pre-processing and predictive analytics tasks. The proposed system showcases substantially improved performance results, with classification accuracy at 99.125%. With major processing of healthcare data analytics happening at the fog layer, it is observed that the proposed work reveals optimized results concerning delays in terms of latency, response time, and jitter, compared to the cloud. Deep learning models are adept at handling sophisticated tasks, particularly predictive analytics. Time-critical healthcare applications reap benefits from deep learning's exclusive potential to furnish near-perfect results, coupled with the merits of the decentralized fog model, as revealed by the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initially, the renal resistive index (RRI) was investigated with the aim of improving diagnosis in kidney diseases, but this goal was not met. Recently, many papers have highlighted the prognostic significance of the RRI in chronic kidney disease: specifically, in estimating the revascularization success of renal artery stenoses or the evolution of the graft and the recipients in renal transplantation. Moreover, the RRI has become significant in the prediction of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. Studies in renal pathology have revealed correlations of this index with parameters of systemic circulation. The theoretical and experimental premises of this connection were then reconsidered, and studies analyzing the link between RRI and arterial stiffness, central and peripheral pressure, and left ventricular flow were conducted with this purpose. Many data currently indicate that RRI is influenced more by pulse pressure and vascular compliance than by renal vascular resistance—assuming that RRI reflects the complex interplay between systemic circulation and renal microcirculation and should be considered a marker of systemic cardiovascular risk beyond its prognostic relevance for kidney disease. In this review, we overview the clinical research that reveals the implications of RRI in renal and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition with a high prevalence among general population and multisystemic involvement: a more complex scene than a merely gastrointestinal disease. Therefore, an early diagnosis and treatment with a glutenfree diet is mainly important to reduce mortality and comorbidities. Together with autoimmune diseases (as Hashimoto thyroiditis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune liver disease and connective tissue diseases), also an accelerated progression of atherosclerosis and a higher prevalence of heart disease have been reported in coeliacs. In the present paper we tried to collect from literature the emergent data on the probable relationship between coeliac and cardiovascular disease, focusing on pathophysiological bases of vascular injury. Data and opinions on the development of cardiovascular risk in patients with CD are conflicting. However, the major evidence supports the theory of an increased cardiovascular risk in CD, due to many mechanisms of myocardial injury, such as chronic malabsorption, abnormalities of intestinal permeability, and direct immune response against self-proteins. The conclusions that come from these data suggest the utility of a careful cardiovascular follow up in coeliac patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality is pre-eclampsia. It is characterized by a high sFlt1/PlGF ratio, according to prior research. Pregestational diseases in mothers may increase the risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Only a few studies have looked at the connection between maternal comorbidities before conception and the sFlt1/PlGF ratio. The most recent information regarding the association between maternal pregestational diseases and the ratio of sFlt1/PlGF is described in this review. The paper also examines current research suggesting that changes in pregnancy hormones and metabolites are related to a high sFlt1/PlGF ratio. Certain maternal disorders have been found to dramatically raise sFlt-1 and sFlt1/PlGF levels, according to an analysis of the literature. There is still debate about the data on the association between the sFlt1/PlGF ratio and maternal disorders such as HIV, acute coronary syndromes, cardiovascular function in the mother between 19 and 23 weeks of pregnancy, thyroid hormones, diabetes, and cancer. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paralympic participants represent a special subset of athletes. Although sudden cardiac death in this group is a rare event, it should be underlined that, in particular, Paralympians with movement restrictions have a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease. Numerous reports have focused on comparing athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the ones with non-spinal cord injury—NSCI. The first group is more prone to develop arrhythmias, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidaemia including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, and this group potentially may have a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. In ECGs of the disabled athletes with SCI, we more often find changes typically established as consequences of exercise training, such as T-wave inversions. The potential differences in the cardiovascular status of disabled athletes may depend not only on the class of impairment, but also on the discipline of sport and environmental conditions, which makes the analysis relatively complex. The paper analyses up-to-date articles discussing the cardiovascular problems in disabled athletes, pointing to scarce data in several fields of interest. Previous studies on the frequency of abnormalities of the cardiovascular system in Paralympic athletes highlighted the need to intensify preventive cardiology care for this group of athletes, and some activities could be proposed for sportsmen and sportswomen in this group, including more frequent screening ECG, application of 24 h ECG Holter monitoring, echocardiography and cardiological care. Due to the relatively few data available and existing discrepancies in this area, further research is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition that affects a significant portion of the global population and imposes a heavy clinical and economic burden. Recent studies have provided substantial evidence linking NAFLD to cardiac electrical abnormalities, including atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart blocks, conduction delays, and ECG changes. These cardiac electrical disturbances play a significant role in cardiac diseases that are the leading cause of death in NAFLD patients. This paper aims to provide an update on the proposed mechanisms underlying arrhythmogenesis in NAFLD and summarize the latest research findings in this field. Managing NAFLD requires a comprehensive approach that includes treating the underlying liver condition and regular ECG monitoring to detect and address any potential cardiac complications. Meta-analyses are recommended for future research further to elucidate the association between NAFLD and cardiac arrhythmias. Understanding and effectively managing the cardiac implications of NAFLD will contribute to improved patient care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine Learning (ML) methods have become important for enhancing the performance of decision-support predictive models. However, class imbalance is one of the main challenges for developing ML models, because it may bias the learning process and the model generalization ability. In this paper, we consider oversampling methods for generating synthetic categorical clinical data aiming to improve the predictive performance in ML models, and the identification of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We performed a comparative study of several categorical synthetic data generation methods, including Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique Nominal (SMOTEN), Tabular Variational Autoencoder (TVAE) and Conditional Tabular Generative Adversarial Networks (CTGANs). Then, we assessed the impact of combining oversampling strategies and linear and nonlinear supervised ML methods. Lastly, we conducted a post-hoc model interpretability based on the importance of the risk factors. Experimental results show the potential of GAN-based models for generating high-quality categorical synthetic data, yielding probability mass functions that are very close to those provided by real data, maintaining relevant insights, and contributing to increasing the predictive performance. The GAN-based model and a linear classifier outperform other oversampling techniques, improving the area under the curve by 2%. These results demonstrate the capability of synthetic data to help with both determining risk factors and building models for CVD prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea pigment, as a natural pigment component in tea, has attracted much attention because of its unique health benefits. In recent years, with the deepening of scientific research, the research on biological activity, extraction technology and application of tea pigment has made remarkable progress. Through systematic bibliometrics analysis, this paper comprehensively combs and evaluates the research status of tea pigment. The propose is to provide valuable reference for future research and application. In this paper, the chemical structure of tea pigment is firstly summarized, and then its diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor, are deeply discussed, especially its potential application in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In addition, the application prospect of tea pigment in food coloring, textile dyeing and other industrial fields is also discussed in detail. Through the collection and arrangement of a large number of research literatures, this paper analyzes the development trend, research methods and main achievements of tea pigment research, and pays special attention to the dosage and effect of tea pigment in practical application. These analyses not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and functions of tea pigments, but also provide scientific basis for the further development and application of tea pigments.

Survival analysis, also called time-to-event analysis, is a common approach to handling event data in cardiovascular nursing and health-related research. Survival analysis is used to describe, explain, and/or predict the occurrence and timing of events. There is a specific language used and methods designed to handle the unique nature of event data. In this methods paper, we provide an 'easy start guide' to using survival analysis by (i) providing a step-by-step guide and (ii) applying the steps with example data. Specifically, we analyse cardiovascular event data over 6 months in a sample of patients with heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this review is on the proteomic approaches applied to the study of the qualitative/quantitative changes in mitochondrial proteins that are related to impaired mitochondrial function and consequently different types of pathologies. Proteomic techniques developed in recent years have created a powerful tool for the characterization of both static and dynamic proteomes. They can detect protein–protein interactions and a broad repertoire of post-translation modifications that play pivotal roles in mitochondrial regulation, maintenance and proper function. Based on accumulated proteomic data, conclusions can be derived on how to proceed in disease prevention and treatment. In addition, this article will present an overview of the recently published proteomic papers that deal with the regulatory roles of post-translational modifications of mitochondrial proteins and specifically with cardiovascular diseases connected to mitochondrial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the 20th century, it has been clear that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. However, the main triggering mechanism of the inflammatory process in the vascular walls is still unclear. To date, many different hypotheses have been put forward to explain the causes of atherogenesis, and all of them are supported by strong evidence. Among the main causes of atherosclerosis, which underlies these hypotheses, the following can be mentioned: lipoprotein modification, oxidative transformation, shear stress, endothelial dysfunction, free radicals' action, homocysteinemia, diabetes mellitus, and decreased nitric oxide level. One of the latest hypotheses concerns the infectious nature of atherogenesis. The currently available data indicate that pathogen-associated molecular patterns from bacteria or viruses may be an etiological factor in atherosclerosis. This paper is devoted to the analysis of existing hypotheses for atherogenesis triggering, and special attention is paid to the contribution of bacterial and viral infections to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can improve cardiovascular risk factors, decrease cardiac mortality, and promote healthy lifestyle behaviours. However, services remain underutilized by groups of ethnic minorities. The purpose of the study was to identify patients' personal CR experiences to identify the differences CR makes towards minorities' lifestyle. An initial electronic search was performed in 2021 for papers ranging from 2008–2020 across specific databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Medline. Google Scholar was also used to supplement the search process and to identify studies performed within grey literature. A total of 1230 records were screened, of which 40 were assessed for eligibility. The final sample consisted of seven qualitative design studies that were identified for inclusion in this review. Based on patient personal experiences, this review identified that ethnic minorities continue to remain disadvantaged when accessing healthcare interventions, primarily as a result of cultural behaviours, linguistic barriers, socioeconomic status, religious and fatalistic beliefs, and low physician referral rates. More research is needed to elucidate this phenomenon and address these factors faced by ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the effect of in utero exposure to adverse events on late life diabetes, cardiovascular disease risks and cognition deficiency. We merge data on the regional violence during the Cultural Revolution and the excessive death rates during the Chinese Great Famine with data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study survey. Results show that female babies who were exposed in utero to the famine have higher diabetes risks, while male babies who were exposed to the Cultural Revolution are shown to have lower cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors are considered to affect vascular physiology. It is known that one of the reasons for many diseases is a pathology at the microvascular level. Therefore, the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and many diseases is currently being investigated. The clinical evaluations of arterial stiffness have made it possible to perform necessary risk assessment regarding cardiovascular diseases. In this way, protective measures can be taken against microvascular pathologies in many organs. In this paper, we present a review of studies investigating the relationship between urological conditions and the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a marker of arterial stiffness. As with erectile dysfunction, some studies have shown that conditions such as lower urinary tract symptoms, overactive bladder, and chronic kidney disease are also associated with an elevated CAVI. The association of erectile dysfunction and chronic kidney disease with vascular pathologies has been clearly demonstrated. In addition, lower urinary tract symptoms may be the first sign of silent vascular dysfunction. Assessing arterial stiffness with CAVI can help prevent future cardiovascular events in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have found conflicting results about the association of autoimmune blistering disease (AIBD) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The objective of the study was to systematically review the relationship of AIBD, including pemphigus vulgaris (PV), and its treatment with CVD and CVD risk factors. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, LILACS, SCOPUS, and Web of Science were searched. We included all studies of CVD and CVD risk factors in AIBD patients. Two reviewers performed title and/or abstract review and data extraction. Pooled random-effects meta-analysis was performed. Forty papers met inclusion criteria. AIBD was associated with higher odds of diabetes (DM) (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.809 [1.258–2.601]), hypertension (HTN) (1.393 [1.088–1.784]), dyslipidemia (2.177 [1.163–4.073]) and heart failure (1.919 [1.603–2.298]), but was not associated with obesity, stroke, angina, heart attack, or arrhythmia. The pooled random-effects prevalence for treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in AIBD was 13.7% for DM, 10.7% for HTN, and 17.1% for CVD. Sensitivity analysis of high-quality studies revealed similar results. AIBD patients have increased CVD risk factors and heart failure. Systemic corticosteroid treatment results in CVD-related AEs in AIBD. Increased CVD screening and prevention strategies are warranted in AIBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent decades, the main reason for the high death rate is related to cardiovascular disease and stroke. In this paper, numerical studies have been done to investigate the hemodynamic effects on the rupture of middle cerebral artery (MCA) in different working conditions. In this work, the effects of the blood viscosity and velocity on the pressure distribution and average wall shear stress (AWSS) are fully investigated. Also, the flow pattern inside the aneurysm is investigated to obtain the high-risk regions for the rupture of the aneurysm. Our findings show that the wall shear stress increases with increasing the blood flow velocity. Meanwhile, the risk of aneurysm rupture is considerably increased when the AWSS increases more than 0.6. In fact, the blood flow with high viscosity expands the high-risk region on the wall of the aneurysm. Blood flow indicates that the angle of the incoming bloodstream is substantially effective in the high-risk region on the aneurysm wall. The augmentation of the blood velocity and vortices considerably increases the risk of hemorrhage of the aneurysm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the methodology and computational results of simulated medical drug targeting (MDT) via induced magnetism intended for administering intravenous patient-specific doses of therapeutic agents in a Circle of Willis (CoW) model. The multi-physics computational model used in this work is from our previous works. The computational model is used to analyze pulsatile blood flow, particle motion, and particle capture efficiency in a magnetized region using the magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) and equations describing the magnetic forces acting on particles produced by an external cylindrical electromagnetic coil. A Eulerian–Lagrangian technique is implemented to resolve the hemodynamic flow and the motion of particles under the influence of a range of magnetic field strengths (Br = 2T, 4T, 6T, and 8T). Particle diameter sizes of 10 nm to 4 µm in diameter were assessed. Two dimensionless numbers are also investigated a priori in this study to characterize relative effects of Brownian motion (BM), magnetic force-induced particle motion, and convective blood flow on particle motion. Similar to our previous works, the computational simulations demonstrate that the greatest particle capture efficiency results for particle diameters within the micron range, specifically in regions where flow separation and vortices are at a minimum. Additionally, it was observed that the capture efficiency of particles decreases substantially with smaller particle diameters, especially in the superparamagnetic regime. The highest capture efficiency observed for superparamagnetic particles was 99% with an 8T magnetic field strength and 95% with a 2T magnetic field strength when analyzing 100 nm particles. For 10 nm particles and an 8T magnetic field strength, the particle capture efficiency was 48%, and for a 2T magnetic field strength the particle capture efficiency was 33%. Furthermore, it was found that larger magnetic field strengths, large particle diameter sizes (1 µm and above), and slower blood flow velocity increase the particle capture efficiency. The key finding in this work is that favorable capture efficiencies for superparamagnetic particles were observed in the CoW model for weak fields (Br < 4T) which demonstrates MDT as a possible viable treatment candidate for cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the pluripotent effect of supplementation of turmeric rhizome powder (TRP) (Curcuma longa) in growing Andaman local pigs. A total of 48 pigs were randomly allotted into four groups and fed diets containing TRP at 4 concentrations, that is, 0 (control group), 0.05 (treatment 1), 0.1 (treatment 2), and 0.2% (treatment 3) for 30 days. The mean body weight of pigs supplemented with 0.1% and 0.2% TRP was significantly higher than that of the control group (41.66 ± 0.44, 42.59 ± 0.33 vs 40.38 ± 0.30 kg; p ≤ 0.05) which indicated the effect of TRP as growth enhancer. A significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in serum concentration of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was recorded in supplemented groups as compared to the control group. Creatinine kinase (U/l) decreased in all the treatment groups as compared to the control group. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly after supplementation with 0.1% and 0.2% TRP in comparison to the control group. However, there was marked increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dl) in all TRP-supplemented groups than the control group (27.67 ± 0.60 in T1, 32.76 ± 0.32 in T2, and 34.58 ± 0.37 in T3 vs. 23.73 ± 0.69 in control; p ≤ 0.05). Further, there was increase in antioxidant profile after TRP supplementation. Anti-inflammatory potentiality of TRP could also be appreciated since TRP supplementation downregulated (p ≤ 0.05) expression of IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ. Therefore, we perceive that this conflated approach is an example of its own kind to focus on modification of health status of pigs for more productivity and augmentation of immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative lipid-modifying agents are valuable resources to improve the control of atherogenic dyslipidemias and reduce the lipid-related residual cardiovascular risk of patients with intolerance or who are not fully responsive to a consolidated standard of care (statins plus ezetimibe). Moreover, some of the upcoming compounds potently affect lipid targets that are thus far considered "unmodifiable". The present paper is a viewpoint aimed at presenting the incremental metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of the emerging lipid-modulating agents and real-life barriers, hindering their prescription by physicians and their assumption by patients, which need to be worked out for a more diffuse and appropriate drug utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have become a prevalent topic after their discovery, advertised as an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Due to their ability to differentiate into several kinds of cells, including cardiomyocytes, researchers quickly realized the potential for differentiated cardiomyocytes to be used in the treatment of heart failure, a research area with few alternatives. This paper discusses the differentiation process for human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and the possible applications of said cells while answering some questions regarding ethical issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction shows great significance for disease diagnosis and treatment, especially early intervention for CVD, which has a direct impact on preventing and reducing adverse outcomes. In this paper, we collected clinical indicators and outcomes of 14,832 patients with cardiovascular disease in Shanxi, China, and proposed a cardiovascular disease risk prediction model, XGBH, based on key contributing characteristics to perform risk scoring of patients' clinical outcomes. The XGBH risk prediction model had high accuracy, with a significant improvement compared to the baseline risk score (AUC = 0.80 vs. AUC = 0.65). At the same time, we found that with the addition of conventional biometric variables, the accuracy of the model's CVD risk prediction would also be improved. Finally, we designed a simpler model to quantify disease risk based on only three questions answered by the patient, with only a modest reduction in accuracy (AUC = 0.79), and providing a valid risk assessment for CVD. Overall, our models may allow early-stage intervention in high-risk patients, as well as a cost-effective screening approach. Further prospective studies and studies in other populations are needed to assess the actual clinical effect of XGBH risk prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular morbidity is the leading cause of death worldwide. Physical activity, including aerobic, balance, flexibility, and muscle and bone strengthening, can prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) at lower cost. Yoga is a natural treatment option that does not involve taking medications or other artificial substances, which may be appealing to some people who prefer to use natural remedies whenever possible. In addition to lowering blood pressure, yoga has many other health benefits, such as improving flexibility, strength, and stress management. This paper aims to discuss the role of yoga in preventing various CVDs. We aimed to review the studies on the various forms of yoga and the mechanisms that lead to cardioprotective advantages. We also discussed some of yoga's harmful side effects. We have covered two types of yoga in depth: Hatha Yoga (HY) and pranayama. We have done a thorough review of the literature using a PubMed search. Different keywords such as Yoga, cardiovascular disease (CVD), pranayama, Hatha Yoga (HY), Kapālabhāti, stress, anxiety, hypertension, coronary artery disease, asana, rate pressure product (RPP), and Double Product (DoP) were used to write the review. Yoga is a form of physical exercise that involves a series of postures, breathing techniques, and meditation practices. Recent research suggests that practicing it has potential benefits for cardiovascular health, including reducing blood pressure, improving heart rate variability, and reducing cholesterol levels. This may make it a more attractive option for people who want to improve their health and well-being. Here, we report that, according to current evidence, yoga has reduced mortality by preventing conditions that lead to the development of CVDs. However, further study is necessary to provide more convincing evidence for the widespread implementation of yoga as a treatment for CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to systematically review studies and evaluate the strength of the evidence on nuts/seeds consumption and cardiometabolic diseases and their risk factors among adults. Methods: A protocol was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021270554). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus up to September 20, 2021 for prospective cohort studies and ≥12-week randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Main outcomes were cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and type 2 diabetes (T2D), secondary total-/low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, blood pressure and glycaemic markers. Data extraction and risk of bias (RoB) assessments (using RoB 2.0 and RoB-NObS) were performed in duplicate. Effect sizes were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses and expressed as relative risk (RR) or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI); heterogeneity quantified as I². One-stage dose-response analyses assessed the linear and non-linear associations with CVD, CHD, stroke and T2D. The strength of evidence was classified per the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Results: After screening 23,244 references, we included 42 papers from cohort studies (28 unique cohorts, 1,890,573 participants) and 18 RCTs (2,266 participants). In the cohorts, mainly populations with low consumption, high versus low total nuts/seeds consumption was inversely associated with total CVD (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.75, 0.86; I² = 67%), CVD mortality (0.77; 0.72, 0.82; I² = 59.3%), CHD (0.82; 0.76, 0.89; I² = 64%), CHD mortality (0.75; 0.65, 0.87; I² = 66.9%) and non-fatal CHD (0.85; 0.75, 0.96; I² = 62.2%). According to the non-linear dose-response analyses, consumption of 30 g/day of total nuts/seeds was associated with RRs of similar magnitude. For stroke and T2D the summary RR for high versus low intake was 0.91 (95% CI 0.85, 0.97; I² = 24.8%) and 0.95 (0.75, 1.21; I² = 82.2%). Intake of nuts (median ~50 g/day) lowered total (-0.15 mmol/L; -0.22, -0.08; I² = 31.2%) and LDL-cholesterol (-0.13 mmol/L; -0.21, -0.05; II² = 68.6%), but not blood pressure. Findings on fasting glucose, HbA1c and insulin resistance were conflicting. The results were robust to sensitivity and subgroup analyses. We rated the associations between nuts/seeds and both CVD and CHD as probable. There was limited but suggestive evidence for no association with stroke. No conclusion could be made for T2D. Conclusion: There is a probable relationship between consumption of nuts/seeds and lower risk of CVD, mostly driven by CHD, possibly in part through effects on blood lipids. More research on stroke and T2D may affect the conclusions. The evidence of specific nuts should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral respiratory infections (VRI) are the most prevalent type of infectious diseases and constitute one of the most common causes of contact with medical care. Regarding the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system, VRI can not only exacerbate already existing chronic cardiovascular disease (such as coronary artery disease or heart failure) but also trigger new adverse events or complications (e.g., venous thromboembolism), the latter particularly in subjects with multimorbidity or disease-related immobilization. In the current paper, we provide a narrative review of diverse cardiovascular complications of VRI as well as summarize available data on the pathology of the circulatory system in the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative DNA damage markers (8OHdG, comet assay, gammaH2AX) are becoming widely used in clinical cardiology research. To conduct this review of DNA damage in relation to hypertension in humans, we used databases (e.g. PubMed, Web of Science) to search for English-language publications up to June 30, 2022 and the terms: DNA damage, comet assay, gammaH2AX, 8OHdG, strand breaks, and arterial hypertension. Exclusion criteria were: children, absence of relevant controls, extra-arterial hypertensive issues, animal, cell lines. From a total of 79526, 15 human studies were selected. A total of 902 hypertensive patients (pts): (comet: N=418 pts; 8OHdG: N=484 pts) and 587 controls (comet: N=203; 8OHdG: N=384) were included. DNA damage was significantly higher in hypertensive pts than healthy controls (comet 26.6±11.0 vs 11.7±4.07 arbitrary units /A.U./; P P

The lack of sex-specific variables, such as reproductive system history (RSH), in cardiovascular research studies is a missed opportunity to address the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, especially among women who face sex-specific risks of developing CVD. Collecting RSH data from women enrolled in research studies is an important step towards improving women's cardiovascular health. In this paper, we describe two approaches to collecting RSH in CVD research: extracting RSH from the medical record and participant self-report of RSH. We provide specific examples from our own research and address common data management and statistical analysis problems when dealing with RSH data in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a primary global health concern, impacting the heart and blood vessels extensively. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach named Imbalanced Maximizing-Area Under the Curve (AUC) Proximal Support Vector Machine (ImAUC-PSVM), which harnesses the foundational principles of traditional PSVM for the detection of CVDs. The ImAUC-PSVM method offers several key advantages: 1) It skillfully incorporates AUC maximization directly into the objective function. This integration simplifies the model by reducing the number of parameters needing adjustment, making it particularly effective for handling imbalanced datasets through an efficient training process; 2) Theoretical analysis demonstrates that ImAUC-PSVM retains the same structural solution as standard PSVM. This similarity means it inherits PSVM's benefits, particularly in addressing progressive CVD scenarios with rapid incremental updates. Furthermore, we have incorporated a tailored Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm designed to navigate the complex hyperparameter space with finesse. The performance of this model was rigorously evaluated using comprehensive data from a medical survey conducted in 2012, which included an extensive cohort of 26,002 athletes. Critical parameters such as height, weight, age, gender, blood pressure, and resting heart rate were meticulously documented. The empirical results, benchmarked against established performance metrics, underscore the model's exceptional accuracy, solidifying its role as a reliable tool for CVD detection. This approach advances cardiovascular diagnostics and offers a scalable and adaptable solution, potentially influencing the broader landscape of healthcare analytics and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The use of e-cigarettes (ECs) has reached unprecedented levels, due to a variety of reasons, including the misconception regarding their safety. Thus, there have been efforts to characterize the effects of EC exposure, including in the context of thirdhand EC (THEC) on a host of disorders, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS To address this issue, we sought to characterize the effects of THEC on platelet function and thrombus formation, using a novel mouse exposure protocol that resembles real life scenarios. To assess these effects, a host of related in vivo (i.e. tail bleeding time, and ferric chloride injury induced thrombosis model) assays and in vitro platelet specific (e.g. aggregation, and dense granule secretion) investigative assays were conducted. RESULTS Our in vivo characterization demonstrated that THEC exposed mice exhibited a prothrombotic phenotype reflected by their shortened tail bleeding (THEC: 37 ± 15 seconds, versus clean air: 183 ± 56 s) and occlusion times (THEC: 188 ± 39 s, versus clean air: 519 ± 70 s), relative to those exposed to clean air. Importantly, we found no difference in the platelet counts between the THEC and clean air mice. As for the underlying mechanism, separate experiments revealed significantly enhanced platelet aggregation, dense and alpha granule secretion, as well as integrin/GPIIb-IIIa activation and phosphatidylserine exposure in response to thrombin and ADP agonist stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results provide evidence that THEC does have the capacity to increase the risk of thrombotic disease, which should increase awareness regarding its underappreciated negative health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the combination of remote ECG monitoring and artificial intelligence ( AI ) technology has greatly assisted the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and shows extremely broad development prospect. This paper summarizes the progress in the application of AI-based remote ECG monitoring technology in the intelligent diagnosis, hierarchical diagnosis and treatment, prognosis evaluation, and individualized management of acute coronary syndrome. It also introduces the active health intelligent management system of the heart which has been constructed and gradually improved in China on this basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the growing focus on men’s health, physical activity (PA) initiatives have demonstrated efficacy in engaging men and providing opportunities to enhance wellbeing outcomes. It is important to capture the characteristics of male populations who attend these initiatives as it yields important implications in terms of reach, design and implementation. This paper presents the pre-adoption characteristics of participants at a site of Football Cooperative (FC), a community-based PA initiative in Ireland. The research sought to ascertain whether the participants involved were an at-risk group in terms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (i.e. PA levels, waist circumference, aerobic fitness, diet, smoking, alcohol and sleep quality). Recruitment occurred before and during a return to play period, after a lowering of COVID-19 restrictions in May 2021. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants. Fitness and anthropometric data were collected, along with self-report survey data including demographics and wellbeing indicators. A total of n = 71 completed the self-report survey and were predominantly white Irish (95.8%) and married (84.6%). The majority (83.1%) of participants had ≥ 3 CVD risk factors where 66.1% had a waist circumference (WC) of ≥ 94 cm, indicating a high mortality risk. This research suggests that the gendered approach employed by the FC initiative engages a target demographic of at-risk males. While this demonstrates promise in terms of tackling CVD risk, further research that focuses on translating the initiative to engage men at risk of social and economic disadvantage is recommended to enhance the impact of the FC approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases（CVDs） are a group of diseases with high prevalence, disability and mortality rates, and are the number one killer of human health, with coronary and peripheral occlusive vascular diseases posing a great threat. To reduce the threat of CVDs to human life, small-caliber artificial blood vessel transplantation is a relatively common treatment. The materials widely used for the preparation of artificial blood vessels include polyester, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane and silk, etc. The former three are widely used in large vessel replacement surgery, but their use in small vessels is prone to thrombus formation, which clogs the artificial blood vessels and ultimately leads to the death of the organism. Silk has good biocompatibility, mechanical properties, degradability and promotion of cell adhesion, which has become a research hotspot for the preparation of small-caliber artificial blood vessels in recent years.To comprehensively understand the application status and performance advantages of silk small-caliber artificial blood vessels and accelerate the research and transformation of small-caliber blood vessels, this paper analyzed the advantages and problems of using silk as raw material to prepare small-caliber blood vessels from the aspects of preparation method, biocompatibility, anti-thrombotic ability and promoting vascular endothelialization, and put forward the possible development direction in the future. The results of most of the studies show that small-caliber artificial blood vessels prepared with silk as raw material exhibit good repair and long-term patency in animals. Silk can be prepared by gel spinning, weaving, knitting, electrostatic spinning, 3D printing, decellularization, freeze drying, etc. These methods have both advantages and defects. For instance, freeze drying is easy to mold but the mechanical properties of the artificial blood vessels are weak, the method of gel spinning can produce a uniform and loose network structure but is poor in mechanical properties, the artificial blood vessels prepared by knitting have uniform texture and flat surface but are easy to unravel at the anastomosis. On the whole, the artificial blood vessels produced by electrostatic spinning have high porosity to meet the requirements of cell growth, and this method is widely used. Although these methods have defects, they provide researchers with much space for improvement. Silk-based small-caliber blood vessels show effects such as promotion of cell adhesion and proliferation when co-cultured with smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, etc. When co-cultured with vascular scaffolds, the cells are able to colonize and grow on the scaffolds smoothly, and these properties indicate that biomedical materials prepared with silk as the raw material have excellent cytocompatibility, but there is an over-proliferation phenomenon when the cells are cultured with smooth muscle, which suggests that over-proliferation of cells should be avoided when silk is used as the biomaterial. The formation of thrombus after vascular transplantation is very likely to lead to death, the excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility of silk are important factors to avoid the formation of thrombus, but the excessive proliferation of smooth muscle caused by silk-based artificial blood vessels may also lead to thrombus. In the future, artificial blood vessels can be prepared by combining with anticoagulant factors to prevent the formation of thrombus. After silk-based vascular grafting, vascular endothelial cells are able to migrate and colonize into the lumen of the graft smoothly, and the surface of the lumen is able to produce fused endothelium; although this process is relatively slow, it is sufficient to prove that silk-based artificial blood vessels are able to promote the endothelialization process after grafting.Although the advantages of silk-based small-caliber blood vessels are significant, whether the reagent residues in the preparation process have side effects needs to be further verified, and a large number of experimental improvements are needed to accelerate the clinical application, and the amount and degree of endotheliosis are strictly controlled in silk-based vascular grafts. In addition, more in-depth research on their controllable degradation needs be carried out. In conclusion, silk-based small-caliber blood vessels have unique advantages and certain defects, which bring opportunities and challenges for their clinical application, and it is necessary to increase the research investment on silk-based small-caliber blood vessels in the future to promote the development of silk in the field of biomedical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has a substantial impact on overall health, well-being, and life-expectancy. Echocardiography is a widely used imaging technique in cardiovascular medicine, utilizing various medical imaging technology to visualize heart chambers and valve's motion activity. In order to diagnose and treat complicated cardiovascular problems, it takes high-resolution images of the heart and its surroundings. However, it has limitations such as long procedure times, multiple measurement values, complex analyses, individualized assessments, operator subjectivity, and wide observation ranges. This makes it challenging for sonographers to accurately detect and diagnose heart diseases. In recent days, Deep Learning (DL) is increasingly used in clinical computer-assisted systems for disease detection, feature segmentation, functional evaluation, and diagnosis. It is an alternate technique for accurate detection and treatment of cardiovascular disorders; it improves the diagnostic capacities of echocardiography by identifying pathological conditions, extracting anatomically significant data, measuring cardio-motion, and calculating echo image quality. This paper presents a detailed review of various DL frameworks developed to analyse different cardiac views using echocardiography for improving the prediction and diagnosis of CVD. At the outset, a variety of echocardiography systems linked with DL-based segmentation and classification are reviewed briefly. Afterwards, a comparison research is carried out to gain insight into the shortcomings of those algorithms and provide a fresh approach to improve the accuracy of cardiac view categorization in echocardiography systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emodin is a natural anthraquinone derivative extracted from Chinese herbs, such as Rheum palmatum L, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Polygonum multiflorum. It is now also a commonly used clinical drug and is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Emodin has a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial effects. Many in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated that emodin has potent anticardiovascular activity. Emodin exerts different mechanisms of action in different types of cardiovascular diseases, including its involvement in pathological processes, such as inflammatory response, apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, oxidative damage, and smooth muscle cell proliferation. Therefore, emodin can be used as a therapeutic drug against cardiovascular disease and has broad application prospects. This paper summarized the main pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of emodin in cardiovascular diseases in recent years and discussed the limitations of emodin in terms of extraction preparation, toxicity, and bioavailability-related pharmacokinetics in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based diets (PBDs) are becoming increasingly popular. Thus far, the literature has focused on their association with lipid profiles, with less investigation of lipoprotein and inflammatory profiles. Because pro-atherogenic lipid, lipoprotein, and inflammatory processes may facilitate the development of atherosclerosis, understanding the relation between PBDs and these processes is important to inform risk mitigation strategies. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to review the literature on PBDs and lipid, lipoprotein, and inflammatory biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A structured literature search was performed, retrieving 752 records, of which 43 articles were included. Plant-based diets generally associated with favourable lipid and lipoprotein profiles, characterised by decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B concentrations, and less low-grade inflammation, characterised by decreased C-reactive protein concentrations. Effect sizes from PBD interventions were greatest compared to habitual dietary patterns, and for non-low-fat vegan and tightly controlled dietary interventions. Associations between PBD indices and the reviewed biomarkers were less consistent. Findings are discussed with reference to the literature on PBDs and PBD indices and CVD risk, the associations between specific plant food groups and CVD outcomes and the reviewed biomarker outcomes, and the potential mechanisms underpinning associations between PBDs and reduced CVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]