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Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) is a robust diagnostic and prognostic test in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to assess the incremental prognostic value of myocardial flow reserve (MFR) using the latest generation of digital PET scanners.Consecutive patients with clinically indicated PET MPI for suspected or known CAD were included. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) in ml/min/g was obtained from dynamic images at rest and peak hyperemia, and the myocardial flow reserve (MFR) was calculated as the ratio of stress to rest MBF. Patients were followed from the date of PET imaging for the occurrence of the primary outcome (composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft occurring90 days after imaging). Nested multivariable Cox regression models were used to assess the incremental prognostic role of MFR over traditional risk factors and PET relative perfusion parameters.The final cohort consisted of 3534 patients (mean age 67 ± 12 years, 48% female, 67% Caucasian, 53% obese, 55% hypertension, 32% diabetes, 42% dyslipidemia). During a median follow-up of 8.5 (3.0-15.4) months, 229 patients (6.5%, 6.4 per 1000 person-years) experienced the primary outcome. In nested multivariable Cox models, impaired MFR (MFR 2) was significantly associated with the primary outcome (HR 2.9, 95% CI 2.0-4.1, p 0.001) and significantly improved discrimination (Harrell's C 0.77, p = 0.002).MFR derived from digital PET scanners has an independent and incremental prognostic role in patients with suspected or known CAD.

Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) is increasingly recognized for diagnosing obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) among patients presenting with chest pain. In this review, we summarize the utility of CCTA to determine luminal stenosis and identifying coronary plaques with high-risk features. We review different scoring systems that can quantify total plaque burden including how artificial intelligence can facilitate more detailed plaque assessment. We discuss how CCTA can also be used to detect the hemodynamic significance of CAD lesions (fractional flow reserve CT and CT perfusion) and also local factors outside the vessel wall that may predispose to plaque rupture (fat attenuation index and wall shear stress). We conclude with technological advances in imaging acquisition using photon counting CT and post-image processing techniques especially those that can mitigate blooming artifacts.

Orthostatic hypotension affects roughly 10% of individuals with hypertension and is associated with several adverse health outcomes, including dementia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death. Among adults with hypertension, orthostatic hypotension has also been shown to predict patterns of blood pressure dysregulation that may not be appreciated in the office setting, including nocturnal nondipping. Individuals with uncontrolled hypertension are at particular risk of orthostatic hypotension and may meet diagnostic criteria for the condition with a smaller relative reduction in blood pressure compared with normotensive individuals. Antihypertensive medications are commonly de-prescribed to address orthostatic hypotension; however, this approach may worsen supine or seated hypertension, which may be an important driver of adverse events in this population. There is significant variability between guidelines for the diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension with regards to timing and position of blood pressure measurements. Clinically relevant orthostatic hypotension may be missed when standing measurements are delayed or when taken after a seated rather than supine position. The treatment of orthostatic hypotension in patients with hypertension poses a significant management challenge for clinicians; however, recent evidence suggests that intensive blood pressure control may reduce the risk of orthostatic hypotension. A detailed characterization of blood pressure variability is essential to tailoring a treatment plan and can be accomplished using both in-office and out-of-office monitoring.

Introduction. Some groups of Asian Americans, especially Asian Indians, experience higher rates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) compared with other groups in the U.S. Barriers in accessing medical care partly may explain this higher risk as a result of delayed screening for cardiovascular risk factors and timely initiation of preventive treatment. Methods. Cross-sectional data were utilized from the 2006 to 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Barriers to accessing medical care included no place to seek medical care when needed, no healthcare coverage, no care due to cost, delayed care due to cost, inability to afford medication, or not seeing a doctor in the past 12 months. Results. The study sample consisted of 18,150 Asian individuals, of whom 20.5% were Asian Indian, 20.5% were Chinese, 23.4% were Filipino, and 35.6% were classified as “Other Asians”. The mean (standard error) age was 43.8 (0.21) years and 53% were women. Among participants with history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or ASCVD (prevalence = 25%), Asian Indians were more likely to report delayed care due to cost (2.58 (1.14,5.85)), while Other Asians were more likely to report no care due to cost (2.43 (1.09,5.44)) or delayed care due to cost (2.35 (1.14,4.86)), compared with Chinese. Results among Filipinos were not statistically significant. Conclusions. Among Asians living in the U.S. with cardiovascular risk factors or ASCVD, Asian Indians and Other Asians are more likely to report delayed care or no care due to cost compared with Chinese.

Several cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and sequelae have been associated with COVID-19. Little is known about the distribution of CVD conditions in COVID-19 related deaths in the US population.The public-use dataset by CDC, "Conditions Contributing to COVID-19 Deaths, by State and Age, Provisional 2020-2021", was abstracted as of August 1, 2021. A descriptive analysis was conducted to explore the overall and age-specific prevalence of various CVD and risk factors grouped by pre-specified ICD-10 codes amongst COVID-19 patient deaths. Respective trends over the duration of the pandemic were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall method, including time-periods before and after the introduction of vaccines in January 2021. All time-related analysis was conducted between March 2020 and June 2021.A total of 600,241 COVID-19 related deaths were reported between March 2020 and June 2021. Hypertensive diseases were the most prevalent (19.6%), followed by diabetes (15.9%), ischemic heart disease (IHD;10.9%), heart failure (7.7%), cardiac arrhythmias (7.5%), other diseases of the circulatory system (6.6%), cerebrovascular diseases (5%), and obesity (4.1%). While a significant downward trend was noted for hypertensive diseases over the course of the pandemic, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure (HF), obesity, and other circulatory system diseases demonstrated a significant upward trend. Since the introduction of vaccines, the trends for heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias remained steady while having demonstrated a significant rise in the pre-vaccination time-period. While obesity and other diseases of the circulatory system predominated (50%) amongst the CVD burden in the younger population (0-24 years and 25-34 years), the percentage occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, hypertensive diseases, HF, and IHD increased with age.Hypertensive diseases, diabetes, and IHD were the most prevalent cardiovascular conditions amongst COVID-19 related deaths. These patterns varied by age. While the trend for hypertensive diseases declined over the course of the pandemic, cardiac arrhythmias, HF, obesity, and other diseases of the circulatory system demonstrated an upward trend. An important limitation is the source of the data being limited to death certificates.

Access to health care is affected by social determinants of health. The social vulnerability index encompasses multiple social determinants of health simultaneously and may therefore be associated with healthcare access.Cross-sectional data were used from the 2016‒2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a nationally representative U.S. telephone-based survey of adults aged ≥18 years. State-level social vulnerability index was derived using county-level social vulnerability index estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Analyses were performed in October 2021. Social vulnerability index was ranked according to percentiles, which were divided into tertiles: Tertile 1 (0.10-0.32), Tertile 2 (0.33-0.53), and Tertile 3 (0.54-0.90).In multivariable-adjusted models comparing U.S. states in Tertile 3 with those in Tertile 1 of social vulnerability index, there was a higher prevalence of absence of healthcare coverage (OR=1.39 [95% CI=1.22, 1.58]), absence of primary care provider (OR=1.34 [95% CI=1.22, 1.48]),1-year duration since last routine checkup (OR=1.18 [95% CI=1.10, 1.27]), inability to see a doctor because of cost (OR=1.38 [95% CI=1.23, 1.54]), and the composite variable of any difficulty in accessing healthcare (OR=1.15 [95% CI=1.08, 1.22]).State-level social vulnerability is associated with several measures related to healthcare access. These results can help to identify targeted interventions to improve access to health care in U.S. states with high social vulnerability index burden.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are potent medications in the toolkit for treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These agents have been well studied in clinical trials supporting their efficacy in dramatically reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and impact on cardiovascular outcomes. Since the approval of commercial use for PCSK9 inhibitors in 2015, we have also gained significant experience in the use of these therapeutics in the real-world setting. In this article, we review current guideline recommendations, clinical trial evidence on efficacy and safety as well as data on cost-effectiveness, prescription and adherence. We focus primarily on the monoclonal antibody class of PCSK9 inhibitors in this review while also touching on other types of therapeutics that are under development.

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) provide comprehensive anatomic and functional assessment of the coronary arteries useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to assess the incremental prognostic role of SPECT physiologic assessment to CCTA in patients with suspected CAD.Consecutive patients with suspected CAD undergoing clinically indicated CCTA within 180 days of undergoing SPECT were included. Patients were followed for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, inclusive of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting 90-days after imaging test.) RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 956 patients (mean age 61.1 ± 14.2 years, 54% men, 89% hypertension, 81% diabetes, 84% dyslipidemia). Obstructive stenosis was found in 14% of patients, while scar (fixed perfusion defect), ischemia and left ventricular ejection fraction40% were found in 17, 14 and 9% of patients, respectively. In nested multivariable cox regression models, perfusion and left ventricular function when added to a model with CCTA obstructive stenosis significantly improved model risk prediction (Harrell's C = 0.73, p = 0.037) and risk reclassification on a continuous scale (P 0.001).We have shown that a combined assessment of perfusion burden and left ventricular function added incremental value over and above a CCTA based anatomic assessment in patients with suspected CAD.

Aims Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to determine the effects of prior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the coronary microvasculature accounting for time from COVID-19, disease severity, SARS-CoV-2 variants, and in subgroups of patients with diabetes and those with no known coronary artery disease. Methods and results Cases consisted of patients with previous COVID-19 who had clinically indicated positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and were matched 1:3 on clinical and cardiovascular risk factors to controls having no prior infection. Myocardial flow reserve (MFR) was calculated as the ratio of stress to rest myocardial blood flow (MBF) in mL/min/g of the left ventricle. Comparisons between cases and controls were made for the odds and prevalence of impaired MFR (MFR < 2). We included 271 cases matched to 815 controls (mean ± SD age 65 ± 12 years, 52% men). The median (inter-quartile range) number of days between COVID-19 infection and PET imaging was 174 (58–338) days. Patients with prior COVID-19 had a statistically significant higher odds of MFR Conclusion The prevalence of impaired MFR is similar by duration of time from infection up to 1 year and SARS-CoV-2 variants, but significantly differs by severity of infection.

To identify whether social vulnerability is associated with low cardiac rehabilitations (CR) use, a Class I recommendation by current treatment guidelines following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).We performed this cross-sectional study using the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index (CDC SVI) was calculated using 15 social risk factors from 4 main themes including socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation. A higher SVI indicates higher social vulnerability. We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the association of CR use with state-level SVI adjusted for demographic, behavioral, socioeconomic, and comorbidity variables.A total 2093 participants with history of AMI were included. Out of total, 61.7% were older than 65 years, 42.5% female, 72.5% White, and 42.4% used CR. Participation in CR was lower among females (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.91), those without a primary care physician (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23-0.87), and higher with college degree education (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.06-3.59). CR use decreased with increasing SVI tertiles (1st =61%, 2nd =52%, and 3rd =35%). Compared with those residing in states in the 1st tertile, CR use was lower in the 2nd (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47-0.98) and 3rd (OR, 0.33; 95% CI 0.23-0.48) SVI tertiles.CR use following AMI is low and is associated with social vulnerability. Identifying social risk factors may help improve access to care among vulnerable populations.

The aim of this study was to compare the incremental prognostic value of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA)-derived machine learning fractional flow reserve CT (ML-FFRct) versus that of ischemia detected on single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) on incident cardiovascular outcomes.SPECT MPI and ML-FFRct are noninvasive tools that can assess the hemodynamic significance of coronary atherosclerotic disease.We studied a retrospective cohort of consecutive patients who underwent clinically indicated CCTA and SPECT MPI. ML-FFRct was computed using a ML prototype. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and nonfatal myocardial infarction (D/MI), and the secondary outcome was D/MI and unplanned revascularization, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) occurring more than 90 days postimaging. Multiple nested multivariate cox regression was used to model a scenario wherein an initial anatomical assessment was followed by a functional assessment.A total of 471 patients (mean age: 64 ± 13 year; 53% males) were included. Comorbidities were prevalent (78% hypertension, 66% diabetes, 81% dyslipidemia). ML-FFRct was 0.8 in at least 1 proximal/midsegment was present in 41.6% of patients, and ischemia on MPI was present in 13.8%. After a median follow-up of 18 months, 7% of patients (n = 33) experienced D/MI. On multivariate Cox proportional analysis, the presence of ischemia on MPI but not ML-FFRct significantly predicted D/MI (HR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.0-5.0; P = 0.047; or HR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.3-1.4; P = 0.306 respectively) when added to CCTA obstructive stenosis. Furthermore, the model with SPECT ischemia had higher global chi-square result and significantly improved reclassification. Results were similar using the secondary outcome and on several sensitivity analyses.In a high-risk patient cohort, SPECT MPI but not ML-FFRct adds independent and incremental prognostic information to CCTA-based anatomical assessment and clinical risk factors in predicting incident outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to identify predictors of change in direct measures of coronary artery calcium (CAC) volume and density in South Asian participants. METHODS: We used data from participants in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study with prevalent CAC and direct measures of CAC by serial computed tomography (CT) exams (2010–2013, 2016–2018). We examined the distribution of incident CAC volume and peak density, as well as progression and identified risk factors for progression of change in volume and density in multivariable models. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 102 participants with incident CAC and 285 with CAC progression. CAC volume and density were highest, and incident CAC was most common in the left anterior descending artery (LAD). The greatest progression in volume was in the right coronary artery and the greatest change in density was in the left main. In linear regression models for CAC progression adjusted for baseline density, volume, risk factors, smoking (β +190.1, p = 0.02), baseline volume (β +0.24 per mm(3), p < 0.01), and scan interval (β +0.15 per day, p = 0.01) were associated with change in total volume whereas Lp(a) (β +0.81 per mg/dL, p = 0.03), exercise (β +0.19 per 10 MET-min/week, p = 0.01), and baseline volume (β +0.15 per mm(3), p < 0.01) and density (β −0.55 per unit, p < 0.01) were associated with change in total density. CONCLUSIONS: In this South Asian cohort, smoking was associated with CAC volume progression, while Lp(a) and exercise were associated with progression of peak CAC density.

Summary: Background: Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin associated tissue fibrosis and inflammation. There is limited understanding of the relationship between gal-3 and vascular health. Our aim was to assess the association between gal-3 and arterial stiffness in older adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 4275 participants (mean age of 75 years) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Central arterial stiffness was measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). We evaluated the association of gal-3 with cfPWV using multivariable linear regression. Results: The median (interquartile range) gal-3 concentration was 16.5 (13.8, 19.8) ng/mL and mean cfPWV was 1163±303 cm/s. Higher gal-3 concentration was associated with greater central arterial stiffness after adjustment for age, sex, race-center, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medication use, and current smoking status (β=36.4 cm/s change in cfPWV per log unit change in gal-3; 95% CI: 7.2, 65.5, p=0.015). The association was attenuated after adjusting for additional cardiovascular risk factors (β=17.3, 95% CI: −14.4, 49.0). Conclusions: In community-dwelling older adults, gal-3 concentration was associated with central arterial stiffness, likely sharing common pathways with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (U.S.) and incurs significant cost to the healthcare system. Management of cholesterol remains central for ASCVD prevention and has been the focus of multiple national guidelines. In this review, we compare the American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Cholesterol guidelines. We review the evidence base that was used to generate recommendations focusing on 4 distinct themes: 1) the threshold of absolute 10-year ASCVD risk to start a clinician-patient discussion for the initiation of statin therapy in primary prevention patients; 2) the utility of coronary artery calcium score to guide clinician-patient risk discussion pertaining to the initiation of statin therapy for primary ASCVD prevention; 3) the use of moderate versus high-intensity statin therapy in patients with established ASCVD; and 4) the utility of ordering lipid panels after initiation or intensification of lipid lowering therapy to document efficacy and monitor adherence to lipid lowering therapy. We discuss why the VA/DoD and AHA/ACC may have reached different conclusions on these key issues.

South Asians account for around 25% of the global population and are the fastest-growing ethnicity in the US. This population has an increasing burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) which is also seen in the diaspora. Current risk prediction equations underestimate this risk and consider the South Asian ethnicity as a risk-enhancer among those with borderline-intermediate risk. In this review, we discuss why the South Asian population is at a higher risk of ASCVD and strategies to mitigate this increased risk.

Identifying Asian subgroups with higher risk of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) can help implement targeted strategies to prevent future CHD events. We conducted this National Health Interview Survey study from 2006 to 2015 among participants with history of CHD to compare the risk of premature CHD (65 for women and55 years old for men) across Whites, Chinese, Asian Indians, Filipinos, and "other Asians" (Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese individuals) using univariate and multi-variable logistic regression models. A total of 17,266 participants with history of CHD (mean age, 66.0 ± 0.2; 39% women) were included. Risk of premature CHD was higher among Asian Indians (OR = 1.77, 1.05-2.97) and "other Asians" (OR = 1.68, 1.17-2.42) than Whites adults. Compared with Chinese, the risk of premature CHD was significantly higher for Asian Indians in the unadjusted models (OR = 2.72, 1.19-6.3). "Other Asians" exhibited significantly higher risk in crude (OR = 2.88, 1.32-6.27) and adjusted models (aOR = 2.29, 1.01-5.18). Among younger adults (50 years) with CHD, Asian Indian adults (aOR = 2.43, 1.26-4.70) and other Asian adults (aOR = 1.86, 1.14-3.02) showed higher odds of premature CHD compared with White adults. The risk of premature CHD varies across Asian populations. More studies with an adequate sampling of Asian subgroups are needed to identify the risk and determinants of premature CHD.

The United States Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) recently released recommendations for statin therapy eligibility for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We report the proportion and the absolute number of US adults who would be eligible for statin therapy under these recommendations and compare them with the previously published 2018 American Heart Association (AHA)/ American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ Multisociety (MS) Cholesterol guidelines.We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020 of adults aged 40-75 years without prevalent self-reported atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol190 mg/dL. The 2022 USPSTF recommends statin therapy for primary prevention in those with a 10-year ASCVD risk of ≥10% and ≥ 1 CVD risk factor (diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or smoking). The 2018 AHA/ ACC/ MS Cholesterol guideline recommends considering statin therapy for primary prevention for those with diabetes mellitus, or 10-year ASCVD risk ≥20% or 10-year ASCVD risk 7.5 to20% after accounting for risk-enhancers and shared decision making. Survey recommended weights were used to project these proportions to national estimates.Among 1799 participants eligible for this study, the weighted mean age was 56.0 ± 0.5 years, with 53.0% women (95% confidence interval [CI] 49.7, 56.3), and 10.6% self-reported NH Black individuals (95% CI 7.7, 14.3). The weighted mean 10-year ASCVD risk was 9.6 ± 0.3%. The 2022 USPSTF recommendations and the 2018 AHA/ ACC/ MS Cholesterol guidelines indicated eligibility for statin therapy in 31.8% (95% CI 28.6, 35.1) and 46.8% (95% CI 43.0, 50.5) adults, respectively. These represent 33.7 million (95% CI 30.4, 37.2) and 49.7 million (95% CI 45.7, 53.7) adults, respectively. For those with diabetes mellitus, 2022 USPSTF recommended statin therapy in 63.0% (95% CI 52.1, 72.7) adults as compared with all adults with diabetes aged 40-75 years under the 2018 AHA/ ACC/ MS Cholesterol guidelines.In this analysis of the nationally representative US population from 2017 to 2020, approximately 15% (~16.0 million) fewer adults were eligible for statin therapy for primary prevention under the 2022 USPSTF recommendations as compared to the 2018 AHA/ ACC/ MS Cholesterol guideline.

We evaluated whether serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) can identify adequate suppression of the left ventricle (LV) among patients undergoing [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([18F]-FDG PET) for cardiac inflammatory/infectious studies.Consecutive patients who underwent [18F]-FDG PET imaging were included. Serum BHB levels were measured in all patients on the day of imaging prior to injecting [18F]-FDG. Myocardial [18F]-FDG suppression was defined if [18F]-FDG uptake in the walls of myocardium, measured using standardized uptake values (SUV), was lower than the blood pool. The optimal threshold of BHB to identify myocardial suppression was based on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) in a random 30% sample of the study population (derivation cohort) and tested in the remaining 70% of sample (validation cohort).A total of 256 images from 220 patients were included. Patients with sufficient LV suppression had significantly higher BHB levels compared to those with non-suppressed myocardium (median (IQR) BHB 0.6 (0.3-0.8) vs. 0.2 (0.2-0.3) mmol/l, p 0.001, respectively). BHB level ≥ 0.335 mmol/l had a sensitivity of 84.90% and a specificity of 92.60% to identify adequate LV suppression in the validation cohort. All patients (100%) with BHB ≥ 0.41 mmol/l had adequate myocardial suppression compared to 29.63% of patients with BHB ≤ 0.20 mmol/l.Serum BHB level can be used at the point of care to identify sufficient LV suppression in patients undergoing [18F]-FDG PET cardiac inflammatory/infectious studies. Central illustration (image to the right) shows representative cases of patient images and BHB and, in the image to the left, shows the sensitivity and specificity to identify left myocardial suppression using BHB in validation group.

Although there is a significant reduction in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk with statins, a higher risk of diabetes mellitus has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials. The risk of incident diabetes with statins may be heterogeneous by presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC). We evaluated participants without prevalent diabetes at baseline from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), a prospective cohort study of subjects free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to study the association between statin use and incident diabetes, adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors, including time-varying statin use and stratifying by baseline CAC (0, 1 to 100, ≥100). The study population included 5,943 participants with a mean (SD) age of 62 (10) years, 54% women, 41% White, 26% Black, 12% Chinese-American, and 21% Hispanic. In the unadjusted analyses, statin use was associated with a higher risk of incident diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27 to 2.06). After adjustment, this risk was no longer significant (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.54). Although imprecise, the HR expressing the association of statins with diabetes was lower for those with CAC = 0 (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.40) than for those with a higher CAC burden (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.71 to 2.39 for CAC 1 to 100 and HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.28 for CAC ≥100), but this heterogeneity was not statistically significant. In conclusion, statin therapy was not significantly associated with incident diabetes mellitus in this observational study. The risk of incident diabetes did not significantly differ by baseline CAC.

Data on the relationship between omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) therapy with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been inconsistent. We investigate the association between n-3 FA and risk for AF by pooling data from available large, cardiovascular outcome trials. We performed a systematic search on PubMed and Embase for studies on n-3 FA with AF as an outcome measure. Large (≥ 1000 participants) randomized controlled trials with ≥ 1-year follow-up period were included. The association between n-3 FA and risk of AF or stroke was assessed. Mantel–Haenszel random effects model was used to calculate risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We then performed meta-regression to evaluate effect on AF by dose of n-3 FA therapy. A total of 8 randomized control trials encompassing 83,112 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Of these, five trials assessed a lower dose of n-3 FA (≤ 1 g daily, n = 61,096) while 3 trials assessed a higher dose (> 1 g daily, n = 22,016). In meta-analysis, a significant association was noted between n-3 FA treatment and risk of AF (4.0% vs 3.3%; RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11–1.38, p = 0.0002). There was a modest but still significant association in the lower dose (n-3 FA ≤ 1 g daily) sub-group (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04–1.21, p = 0.004) and stronger association in the higher dose (n-3 FA > 1 g daily) sub-group (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.26–1.80, p