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Blood pressure variability (BPV) is independently associated with higher cardiovascular risks. However, whether BPV is associated with poor outcomes for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remained undetermined. We aimed to investigate the relationship between BPV and the outcomes of CAD patients undergoing PCI. Two thousand seven hundred and sixty‐two CAD patients (1938 males, mean age 69.6 ± 12.9) who received PCI at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2006 to 2015 with multiple blood pressure measurements before and after the index PCI were enrolled. We calculated the standard deviation of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure as parameters of BPV. The primary endpoint was the composite of major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE comprising of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and non‐fatal stroke] and heart failure hospitalization (HHF). The key secondary endpoint was MACE. Both pre‐PCI and post‐PCI BPV were associated with CV events even after adjusting for co‐morbidities and mean blood pressure. In Cox analysis, for every 1 mmHg increase in systolic BPV, the hazard ratio for the MACE + HHF, MACE, HHF, and cardiovascular death was 1.04 (95%CI: 1.03–1.05), 1.04 (95%CI: 1.02–1.05), 1.05 (95%CI: 1.04–1.06), and 1.06 (95%CI: 1.03–1.09), respectively. The association between BPV and cardiovascular risk is independent of blood pressure control status. The prognostic value of BPV was superior to mean blood pressure in both pre‐PCI and post‐PCI period. BPV is independently associated with cardiovascular events after PCI and has a better prognostic value than mean blood pressure suggesting the importance of maintaining stable blood pressure for CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the cushion hypothesis to examine cultural differences in the role of willingness to take financial risk in an individual's objective financial outcomes (e.g., the experience of material hardship) and in an individual's assessment of their financial well‐being. Using data collected in South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States, we find support for a cushion (i.e., weaker relationship) in the association between material hardship and present and future financial well‐being. A cushion was also observed in a weaker association between willingness to take financial risk and expectations for future financial security but not in the experience of material hardship or current money management stress. Our results suggest that cultural context influences an individual's objective situation as well as their subjective assessment of that situation. This paper adds to existing literature by documenting a cushion effect beyond risk taking to include a person's objective financial situation and financial well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examines the predictive value of a novel systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII, platelet × neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods: A total of 5602 CAD patients who had undergone a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups by baseline SII score (high SII vs low SII) to analyse the relationship between SII groups and the long‐term outcome. The primary outcomes were major cardiovascular events (MACE) which includes nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke and cardiac death. Secondary outcomes included a composite of MACE and hospitalization for congestive heart failure. Results: An optimal SII cut‐off point of 694.3 × 109 was identified for MACE in the CAD training cohort (n = 373) and then verified in the second larger CAD cohort (n = 5602). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that a higher SII score (≥694.3) was independently associated with increased risk of developing cardiac death (HR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.43‐2.86), nonfatal MI (HR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.09‐1.85), nonfatal stroke (HR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.28‐2.99), MACE (HR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.36‐2.01) and total major events (HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.32‐1.77). In addition, the SII significantly improved risk stratification of MI, cardiac death, heart failure, MACE and total major events than conventional risk factors in CAD patients by the significant increase in the C‐index (P <.001) and reclassification risk categories by significant NRI (P <.05) and IDI (P <.05). Conclusions: SII had a better prediction of major cardiovascular events than traditional risk factors in CAD patients after coronary intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]