Fibroblast Growth Factor‐23 and Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Failure, and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study

Although well documented drug therapies are available for the management of ventricular hypertrophy (VH) and heart failure (HF), most patients nonetheless experience a downhill course, and further therapeutic measures are needed. Nutraceutical, dietary, and lifestyle measures may have particular merit in this regard, as they are currently available, relatively safe and inexpensive, and can lend themselves to primary prevention as well. A consideration of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the VH/HF syndrome suggests that measures which control oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, that support effective nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide bioactivity, that prevent a reduction in cardiomyocyte pH, and that boost the production of protective hormones, such as fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), while suppressing fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and marinobufagenin, may have utility for preventing and controlling this syndrome. Agents considered in this essay include phycocyanobilin, N-acetylcysteine, lipoic acid, ferulic acid, zinc, selenium, ubiquinol, astaxanthin, melatonin, tauroursodeoxycholic acid, berberine, citrulline, high-dose folate, cocoa flavanols, hawthorn extract, dietary nitrate, high-dose biotin, soy isoflavones, taurine, carnitine, magnesium orotate, EPA-rich fish oil, glycine, and copper. The potential advantages of whole-food plant-based diets, moderation in salt intake, avoidance of phosphate additives, and regular exercise training and sauna sessions are also discussed. There should be considerable scope for the development of functional foods and supplements which make it more convenient and affordable for patients to consume complementary combinations of the agents discussed here. Research Strategy: Key word searching of PubMed was employed to locate the research papers whose findings are cited in this essay.

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Electrocardiographic Findings and Incident Coronary Heart Disease Among Participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

The American Journal of Cardiology ◽

10.1016/j.amjcard.2005.11.036 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 97 (8) ◽

pp. 1176-1181.e3 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Daniella B. Machado ◽

Richard S. Crow ◽

Lori L. Boland ◽

Peter J. Hannan ◽

Herman A. Taylor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Incident Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk ◽

Electrocardiographic Findings ◽

Aric Study

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Abstract MP013: Strong Inverse Relation between Physical Activity and Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.125.suppl_10.amp013 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth J Bell

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Heart Failure ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

African Americans ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

Baseline Visit ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk

Introduction: Although there is substantial evidence that physical activity reduces risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the few studies that included African Americans offer inconclusive evidence and did not study stroke and heart failure separately. Objective: We examined, in African Americans and Caucasians in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC), the association of physical activity with CVD incidence (n=1,039) and its major components - stroke (n=350), heart failure (n=633), and coronary heart disease (n=442) - over a follow-up period of 21 years. Methods: ARIC is a population-based biracial cohort study of 45– to 64-yr-old adults at the baseline visit in 1987–89. Physical activity was assessed using the modified Baecke physical activity questionnaire and categorized by the American Heart Association’s ideal CVD health guidelines: poor, intermediate, and ideal physical activity. An incident CVD event was defined as the first occurrence of 1) heart failure, 2) definite or probable stroke, or 3) coronary heart disease, defined as a definite or probable myocardial infarction or definite fatal coronary heart disease. Results: We included 3,707 African Americans and 10,018 Caucasians free of CVD at the baseline visit. After adjustment for age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, hormone therapy use, education, and ‘Western’ and ‘Prudent’ dietary pattern scores, higher physical activity was inversely related to CVD, heart failure, and coronary heart disease incidence in African Americans and Caucasians (p-values for trend tests <.0001), and with stroke in African Americans. Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for CVD for intermediate and ideal physical activity, respectively, compared to poor, were similar by race: 0.65 (0.56, 0.75) and 0.59 (0.49, 0.71) for African Americans, and 0.74 (0.66, 0.83) and 0.67 (0.59, 0.75) for Caucasians (p-value for interaction = 0.38). Physical activity was also associated similarly in African Americans and Caucasians for each of the individual CVD outcomes (coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke), with an approximate one-third reduction in risk for intermediate and ideal physical activity versus poor physical activity- this reduction was statistically significant. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings reinforce public health recommendations that regular physical activity is important for CVD risk reduction, including reductions in stroke and heart failure. They provide strong new evidence that this risk reduction applies to African Americans as well as Caucasians and support the idea that some physical activity is better than none.

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Abstract MP77: Projected Impact of Shifting Population Distributions of Blood Pressure on Rates of Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Failure and Stroke: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.127.suppl_12.amp77 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 127 (suppl_12) ◽

Author(s):

Shakia T Hardy ◽

Laura R Loehr ◽

Kenneth R Butler ◽

Patricia P Chang ◽

Aaron R Folsom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

African American ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Population Distribution ◽

The United States ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk

Introduction: Rates of cerebrovascular disease, heart failure (HF), and coronary heart disease (CHD), increase progressively as blood pressure rises. Several authors have estimated the theoretical effects of shifting the population distribution of blood pressure; however few studies have examined the degree to which modest decrements in blood pressure affect HF incidence, or included a racially diverse population. Methods: Incident HF was identified by a first hospitalization with discharge diagnosis code of 428.X. Incident hospitalized (definite or probable) CHD and stroke were classified according to protocol. We used multivariable regression to estimate incidence rate differences (IRD) for HF, CHD, and stroke that could be associated with a two mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in 15,744 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Results: Over a mean of 18.3 years of follow up, age-adjusted incidence rates for HF, CHD, and stroke were higher among African American than Caucasians (Table 1). After adjusting for antihypertensive use, gender, and age, a two mm Hg decrement in SBP across the total population was associated with an estimated 24/100,000 person-years (PY) and 39/100,000 PY fewer incident HF events in Caucasians and African Americans, respectively. The projected disease reductions were of smaller absolute magnitude for incident CHD and incident stroke. Extrapolation to the African American and Caucasian U.S. populations age greater than 45 years suggests that a two mmHg decrement in SBP could result in approximately 22,000 fewer incident HF events, 15,000 fewer incident CHD events, and 5,000 fewer incident stroke events annually. Conclusion: Our results suggest that modest shifts in SBP, consistent with what could theoretically be achieved through population level lifestyle interventions, could substantially decrease the incidence of HF, stroke, and CHD in the United States, especially among African American populations.

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