scholarly journals Impact of armed conflict on cardiovascular disease risk: a systematic review

Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (18) ◽  
pp. 1388-1394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Jawad ◽  
Eszter P Vamos ◽  
Muhammad Najim ◽  
Bayard Roberts ◽  
Christopher Millett

ObjectivesProlonged armed conflict may constrain efforts to address non-communicable disease in some settings. We assessed the impact of armed conflict on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among civilians in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsIn February 2019, we performed a systematic review searching Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Global Health and Web of Science without language or date restrictions. We included adult, civilian populations in LMICs. Outcomes included CVDs and diabetes, and eight clinical and behavioural factors (blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, tobacco, alcohol, body mass index, nutrition, physical activity). We systematically reanalysed data from original papers and presented them descriptively.ResultsSixty-five studies analysed 23 conflicts, and 66% were of low quality. We found some evidence that armed conflict is associated with an increased coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular and endocrine diseases, in addition to increased blood pressure, lipids, alcohol and tobacco use. These associations were more consistent for mortality from chronic ischaemic heart disease or unspecified heart disease, systolic blood pressure and tobacco use. Associations between armed conflict and other outcomes showed no change, or had mixed or uncertain evidence. We found no clear patterning by conflict type, length of follow-up and study quality, nor strong evidence for publication bias.ConclusionsArmed conflict may exacerbate CVDs and their risk factors, but the current literature is somewhat inconsistent. Postconflict reconstruction efforts should deliver low-resource preventative interventions through primary care to prevent excess CVD-related morbidity and mortality.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017065722

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ruth Wu-Wong ◽  
William Noonan ◽  
Masaki Nakane ◽  
Kristin A. Brooks ◽  
Jason A. Segreti ◽  
...  

Endothelial dysfunction increases cardiovascular disease risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigates whether VDR activation affects endothelial function in CKD. The 5/6 nephrectomized (NX) rats with experimental chronic renal insufficiency were treated with or without paricalcitol, a VDR activator. Thoracic aortic rings were precontracted with phenylephrine and then treated with acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside. Uremia significantly affected aortic relaxation (% in NX rats versus % in SHAM at 30 M acetylcholine). The endothelial-dependent relaxation was improved to –%, –%, and –% in NX rats treated with paricalcitol at 0.021, 0.042, and 0.083 g/kg for two weeks, respectively, while paricalcitol at 0.042 g/kg did not affect blood pressure and heart rate. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) suppression alone did not improve endothelial function since cinacalcet suppressed PTH without affecting endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation. N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester completely abolished the effect of paricalcitol on improving endothelial function. These results demonstrate that VDR activation improves endothelial function in CKD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nwora Lance Okeke ◽  
Katherine R Schafer ◽  
Eric G Meissner ◽  
Jan Ostermann ◽  
Ansal D Shah ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The impact of clinician specialty on cardiovascular disease risk factor outcomes among persons with HIV (PWH) is unclear. Methods PWH receiving care at 3 Southeastern US academic HIV clinics between January 2014 and December 2016 were retrospectively stratified into 5 groups based on the specialty of the clinician managing their hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Patients were followed until first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event, death, or end of study. Outcomes of interest were meeting 8th Joint National Commission (JNC-8) blood pressure (BP) goals and National Lipid Association (NLA) non–high-density lipoprotein (HDL) goals for hypertension and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Point estimates for associated risk factors were generated using modified Poisson regression with robust error variance. Results Of 1667 PWH in the analysis, 965 had hypertension, 205 had hyperlipidemia, and 497 had both diagnoses. At study start, the median patient age was 52 years, 66% were Black, and 65% identified as male. Among persons with hypertension, 24% were managed by an infectious diseases (ID) clinician alone, and 5% were co-managed by an ID clinician and a primary care clinician (PCC). Persons managed by an ID clinician were less likely to meet JNC-8 hypertension targets at the end of observation than the rest of the cohort (relative risk [RR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75–0.95), but when mean study blood pressure was considered, there was no difference between persons managed by ID and the rest of the cohort (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.88–1.05). There was no significant association between the ID clinician managing hyperlipidemia and meeting NLA non-HDL goals (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.68–1.15). Conclusions Clinician specialty may play a role in suboptimal hypertension outcomes in persons with HIV.


Author(s):  
Erand Llanaj ◽  
Gordana M. Dejanovic ◽  
Ezra Valido ◽  
Arjola Bano ◽  
Magda Gamba ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Oat supplementation interventions (OSIs) may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, dietary background can modulate such effect. This systematic review assesses the effects of OSIs on CVD risk markers among adults, accounting for different dietary backgrounds or control arms. Methods We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of oat, oat beta-glucan-rich extracts or avenanthramides on CVD risk markers. Results Seventy-four RCTs, including 4937 predominantly hypercholesterolemic, obese subjects, with mild metabolic disturbances, were included in the systematic review. Of these, 59 RCTs contributed to the meta-analyses. Subjects receiving an OSI, compared to control arms without oats, had improved levels of total cholesterol (TC) [weighted mean difference and (95% CI) − 0.42 mmol/L, (− 0.61; − 0.22)], LDL cholesterol [− 0.29 mmol/L, (− 0.37; − 0.20)], glucose [− 0.25 nmol/L, (− 0.36; − 0.14)], body mass index [− 0.13 kg/m2, (− 0.26; − 0.01)], weight [− 0.94 kg, (− 1.84: − 0.05)], and waist circumference [− 1.06 cm, (− 1.85; − 0.27)]. RCTs on inflammation and/or oxidative stress markers were scarce and with inconsistent findings. RCTs comparing an OSI to heterogeneous interventions (e.g., wheat, eggs, rice, etc.), showed lowered levels of glycated haemoglobin, diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. The majority of included RCTs (81.1%) had some concerns for risk of bias. Conclusion Dietary OSIs resulted in lowered levels of blood lipids and improvements in anthropometric parameters among participants with predominantly mild metabolic disturbances, regardless of dietary background or control. Further high-quality trials are warranted to establish the role of OSIs on blood pressure, glucose homeostasis and inflammation markers.


2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAULA L. GRIFFITHS ◽  
ZOË A. SHEPPARD ◽  
WILLIAM JOHNSON ◽  
NOËL CAMERON ◽  
JOHN M. PETTIFOR ◽  
...  

SummaryFactors resulting in high risk for cardiovascular disease have been well studied in high income countries, but have been less well researched in low/middle income countries. This is despite robust theoretical evidence of environmental transitions in such countries which could result in biological adaptations that lead to increased hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk. Data from the South African Birth to Twenty cohort, Bone Health sub-sample (n=358, 47% female), were used to model associations between household socioeconomic status (SES) in infancy, household/neighbourhood SES at age 16 years, and systolic blood pressure (multivariate linear regression) and risk for systolic pre-hypertension (binary logistic regression). Bivariate analyses revealed household/neighbourhood SES measures that were significantly associated with increased systolic blood pressure. These significant associations included improved household sanitation in infancy/16 years, caregiver owning the house in infancy and being in a higher tertile (higher SES) of indices measuring school problems/environment or neighbourhood services/problems/crime at 16 years of age. Multivariate analyses adjusted for sex, maternal age, birth weight, parity, smoking, term birth, height/body mass index at 16 years. In adjusted analyses, only one SES variable remained significant for females: those in the middle tertile of the crime prevention index had higher systolic blood pressure (β=3.52, SE=1.61) compared with the highest tertile (i.e. those with the highest crime prevention). In adjusted analyses, no SES variables were significantly associated with the systolic blood pressure of boys, or with the risk of systolic pre-hypertension in either sex. The lack of association between SES and systolic blood pressure/systolic pre-hypertension at age 16 years is consistent with other studies showing an equalization of adolescent health inequalities. Further testing of the association between SES and systolic blood pressure would be recommended in adulthood to see whether the lack of association persists.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. E1402-E1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Morris ◽  
Taylor E. Purvis ◽  
Kun Hu ◽  
Frank A. J. L. Scheer

Shift work is a risk factor for hypertension, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. This increased risk cannot be fully explained by classic risk factors. One of the key features of shift workers is that their behavioral and environmental cycles are typically misaligned relative to their endogenous circadian system. However, there is little information on the impact of acute circadian misalignment on cardiovascular disease risk in humans. Here we show—by using two 8-d laboratory protocols—that short-term circadian misalignment (12-h inverted behavioral and environmental cycles for three days) adversely affects cardiovascular risk factors in healthy adults. Circadian misalignment increased 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 3.0 mmHg and 1.5 mmHg, respectively. These results were primarily explained by an increase in blood pressure during sleep opportunities (SBP, +5.6 mmHg; DBP, +1.9 mmHg) and, to a lesser extent, by raised blood pressure during wake periods (SBP, +1.6 mmHg; DBP, +1.4 mmHg). Circadian misalignment decreased wake cardiac vagal modulation by 8–15%, as determined by heart rate variability analysis, and decreased 24-h urinary epinephrine excretion rate by 7%, without a significant effect on 24-h urinary norepinephrine excretion rate. Circadian misalignment increased 24-h serum interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, resistin, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels by 3–29%. We demonstrate that circadian misalignment per se increases blood pressure and inflammatory markers. Our findings may help explain why shift work increases hypertension, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease risk.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 817-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota ASHIZAWA ◽  
Yoshinobu YOSHIMOTO ◽  
Kazuma YAMASHITA ◽  
Eri MOCHIZUKI ◽  
Kengo OKAWARA ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Won Ju Hwang ◽  
Soo Jin Kang

This study examined the effect of lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular disease risk factors among workers. The study comprised a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Relevant controlled trials were searched, with selections based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Of 1174 identified publications, one low-quality study was excluded. Finally, 10 were analyzed. The effect sizes were analyzed for heterogeneity, and random effect models (Hedge’s g) were used. A subgroup analysis was performed on the follow-up point of intervention (≤ 12 months vs. > 12 months). Publication bias was also analyzed. Interventions were effective for systolic (g = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.27-1.60) and diastolic blood pressure (g = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.21–1.06), and BMI (g = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.15-1.11). Interventions were ineffective for weight (g = 0.18, 95% CI: −0.04, 0.40) and LDL-cholesterol (g = 0.46, 95% CI: −0.02, 0.93). There was high heterogeneity between studies (I2 =78.45 to I2 = 94.61). There was no statistically significant publication bias, except for systolic blood pressure. Interventions to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease risk might be effective in improving physical outcomes, but additional high-quality trials are needed in the future.


Author(s):  
Yukiko Imai ◽  
Sachiko Mizuno Tanaka ◽  
Michihiro Satoh ◽  
Takumi Hirata ◽  
Yoshitaka Murakami ◽  
...  

Background Lifetime risk is an informative estimate for driving lifestyle and behavioral changes especially for young adults. The impact of composite risk factors for cardiovascular disease on lifetime risk stratified by sex has not been investigated in the Japanese population, which has a much lower mortality of coronary heart disease compared with the Western population. We aimed to estimate lifetime risk of death from cardiovascular disease attributable to traditional risk factors. Methods and Results We analyzed pooled individual data from the Evidence for Cardiovascular Prevention from Observational Cohorts in a Japanese cohort study. A modified Kaplan–Meier approach was used to estimate the remaining lifetime risk of cardiovascular death. In total, 41 002 Japanese men and women with 537 126 person‐years of follow‐up were included. The lifetime risk at the index‐age of 45 years for those with optimal risk factors (total cholesterol <4.65 mmol/L, systolic blood pressure <120 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure <80 mm Hg, absence of diabetes, and absence of smoking habit) was lower compared with the highest risk profile of ≥2 risk factors (6.8% [95% CI, 0%–11.9%] versus 19.4% [16.7%–21.4%] for men and 6.9% [1.2%–11.5%] versus 15.4% [12.6%–18.1%] for women). Conclusions The magnitude and the number of risk factors were progressively associated with increased lifetime risk even in individuals in early adulthood who tend to have low short‐term risk. The degree of established cardiovascular risk factors can be converted into lifetime risk. Our findings may be useful for risk communication in the early detection of future cardiovascular disease risk.


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