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Background: Plasma markers of fibrinolytic function are associated with incident coronary events among several, but not all, prospective epidemiologic investigations of healthy individuals. Few studies have evaluated this relationship in women. In addition, although menopausal hormone therapy (HT) may alter markers of fibrinolytic function, the relevance of this effect for coronary risk assessment has not been studied., Methods and Results: In a prospective, nested case-control study among 75 343 postmenopausal women without prior cardiovascular disease or cancer, we evaluated the relationships of elevated tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen and D-dimer with subsequent first coronary heart disease events over a median period of 2.9 years. Baseline levels of both biomarkers were higher among 304 cases compared with 304 controls matched on age, smoking status, ethnicity, and length of follow-up; median values were 9.0 versus 7.4 ng/mL (P<0.001) for tPA antigen and 27.6 versus 23.4 ng/mL (P=0.001) for D-dimer. In matched-pairs analyses, the odds ratio in the highest versus lowest quartile of tPA antigen was 3.5 (95% CI, 2.1 to 5.8; P trend <0.001) and for D-dimer was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.2; P trend=0.005). After adjustment for lipid and nonlipid risk factors, including C-reactive protein, tPA antigen remained a significant predictor. Multivariable-adjusted associations for D-dimer, although attenuated, largely remained statistically significant. When stratified by HT, the relationship between tPA antigen and incident coronary heart disease was similar among nonusers, estrogen-only users, and current users of any HT., Conclusions: Elevated tPA antigen and, to a lesser extent, D-dimer are independently associated with incident coronary events among postmenopausal women. In analyses stratified by HT, tPA antigen remained a consistent marker of increased coronary risk.

The association of hysterectomy with increased coronary risk is controversial, and previous studies have reached differing conclusions as to whether the excess risk is confined to women who have also undergone bilateral oophorectomy. This analysis uses the Framingham algorithm to evaluate the hypothesis that hysterectomy with or without ovarian preservation is associated with increased coronary risk, using a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 1,501 participants of the Women's Health Initiative. Framingham risk scores, derived from the algorithm in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines, which include age, smoking, systolic blood pressure, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, were determined in a subgroup of Women's Health Initiative participants with measured plasma lipids and known ovariectomy status. Women with hysterectomy had fewer years of education than those without hysterectomy (30% with college degree vs 41%, p <0.0001) and higher body mass index (29 vs 28 kg/m(2), p <0.0001), consumed less alcohol, exercised less, and had a higher Framingham risk of myocardial infarction or coronary death (46% vs 41% with 10-year risk >/=4%, p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy was an independent predictor of Framingham risk (p = 0.04), whereas hysterectomy with ovarian preservation was not.

BackgroundPlasma markers of fibrinolytic function are associated with incident coronary events among several, but not all, prospective epidemiologic investigations of healthy individuals. Few studies have evaluated this relationship in women. In addition, although menopausal hormone therapy (HT) may alter markers of fibrinolytic function, the relevance of this effect for coronary risk assessment has not been studied.Methods and resultsIn a prospective, nested case-control study among 75 343 postmenopausal women without prior cardiovascular disease or cancer, we evaluated the relationships of elevated tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen and D-dimer with subsequent first coronary heart disease events over a median period of 2.9 years. Baseline levels of both biomarkers were higher among 304 cases compared with 304 controls matched on age, smoking status, ethnicity, and length of follow-up; median values were 9.0 versus 7.4 ng/mL (P

BackgroundThe role of walking, as compared with vigorous exercise, in the prevention of cardiovascular disease remains controversial. Data for women who are members of minority racial or ethnic groups are particularly sparse.MethodsWe prospectively examined the total physical-activity score, walking, vigorous exercise, and hours spent sitting as predictors of the incidence of coronary events and total cardiovascular events among 73,743 postmenopausal women 50 to 79 years of age in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. At base line, participants were free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease and cancer, and all participants completed detailed questionnaires about physical activity. We documented 345 newly diagnosed cases of coronary heart disease and 1551 total cardiovascular events.ResultsAn increasing physical-activity score had a strong, graded, inverse association with the risk of both coronary events and total cardiovascular events. There were similar findings among white women and black women. Women in increasing quintiles of energy expenditure measured in metabolic equivalents (the MET score) had age-adjusted relative risks of coronary events of 1.00, 0.73, 0.69, 0.68, and 0.47, respectively (P for trend,

Background Depressive symptoms have been associated with increased cardiac morbidity and mortality rates, but the pathophysiologic mechanism linking depressive symptoms to cardiovascular outcome has yet to be fully understood. Lower heart rate variability has also been associated with increased risk of cardiac events in healthy individuals and in patients with coronary artery disease. Findings regarding a relationship between depressive symptoms and heart rate variability that could explain increased cardiovascular risk have been inconsistent across studies. Methods As an ancillary study to the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, 3372 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 83 years were enrolled for further evaluation using 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. A shortened version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule were administered. Women with adequate electrocardiographic data and depressive symptom information and without coronary artery disease were analyzed (n = 2627). Results Two hundred sixty-nine women (10.2%) had depressive symptoms as measured using the 2 instruments. Women with depressive symptoms had a higher mean ± SD heart rate (77.4 ± 9.6 vs 75.5 ± 8.5 beats/min) and lower heart rate variability than women without depressive symptoms. All differences remained significant after adjusting for age (P<.01). Conclusions Women with depressive symptoms had significant reductions in heart rate variability and higher heart rates, suggestive of increased sympathetic tone. These findings may contribute to the increased cardiac morbidity and mortality rates associated with depression in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the effect of exercise intensity and frequency in lipid levels in men with coronary heart disease, based on results of the Training Level Comparison Trial. Baseline characteristics of patients involved in the study; Target heart rate during exercise; Correlation between the attendance rates and the increased of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Examines the clinical features of chronic congestive heart failure in coronary artery disease. Methodology; Sensitivity and specificity of clinical descriptors; Radiographic findings; Regression analysis of clinical descriptors.

The natural history of patients with ischemic heart disease varies widely depending upon the anatomic lesion and extent of left ventricular dysfunction. Several clinical variables may also be used to help determine the likelihood of long-term survival. Individuals with high-grade isolated disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery, without significant impairment of ventricular function, have little morbidity and mortality for the 2-year period after arteriography. At the other end of the spectrum. medically treated patients with stenosis of the left main coronary artery or three-vessel disease without such involvement have a reduced life expectancy compared with patients treated surgically. Global judgments on long-term results of the medical treatment of coronary artery disease are meaningless. Efforts should be made to delineate optimal treatment for various subgroups of patients under the broad rubric of ischemic heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]