[Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in the longitudinal phase of the Mediterranean study]

A four-year cardiovascular risk score for type 2 diabetic inpatients

As cardiovascular risk tables currently in use were constructed using data from the general population, the cardiovascular risk of patients admitted via the hospital emergency department may be underestimated. Accordingly, we constructed a predictive model for the appearance of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes admitted via the emergency department. We undertook a four-year follow-up of a cohort of 112 adult patients with type 2 diabetes admitted via the emergency department for any cause except patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction, stroke, cancer, or a palliative status. The sample was selected randomly between 2010 and 2012. The primary outcome was time to cardiovascular disease. Other variables (at baseline) were gender, age, heart failure, renal failure, depression, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, insulin, smoking, admission for cardiovascular causes, pills per day, walking habit, fasting blood glucose and creatinine. A cardiovascular risk table was constructed based on the score to estimate the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Risk groups were established and the c-statistic was calculated. Over a mean follow-up of 2.31 years, 39 patients had cardiovascular disease (34.8%, 95% CI [26.0-43.6%]). Predictive factors were gender, age, hypertension, renal failure, insulin, admission due to cardiovascular reasons and walking habit. The c-statistic was 0.734 (standard error: 0.049). After validation, this study will provide a tool for the primary health care services to enable the short-term prediction of cardiovascular disease after hospital discharge in patients with type 2 diabetes admitted via the emergency department.

High-density lipoproteins and myocardial necrosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction and ST segment elevation

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) is a prognostic factor in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between HDLC and myocardial necrosis estimated by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and reperfusion strategy.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 139 patients (mean age 59.8 years; 79% men) admitted with STEMI who underwent a CMR in the first week.

RESULTS

With a comparable reperfusion strategy used and time of ischemia, patients with HDLC ≤40 mg/dl (69% of total) had more extensive areas of myocardial necrosis after STEMI, in number of segments with late gadolinium enhancement (RTG) with transmural necrosis pattern (4.7 vs. 2.1%, p < .001) and in percentage of RTG with respect to total mass myocardial (18.2 vs. 11.3%, p < .01), and worst left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (49.7 vs. 57.2%, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that low HDLC are very common in patients with STEMI and associated with increased necrosis and a worse LVEF in the CRM study.

Rationale and methods of the cardiometabolic Valencian study (Escarval-Risk) for validation of risk scales in Mediterranean patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia

BACKGROUND

The Escarval-Risk study aims to validate cardiovascular risk scales in patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia living in the Valencia Community, a European Mediterranean region, based on data from an electronic health recording system comparing predicted events with observed during 5 years follow-up study.

METHODS/DESIGN

A cohort prospective 5 years follow-up study has been designed including 25000 patients with hypertension, diabetes and/or dyslipidemia attended in usual clinical practice. All information is registered in a unique electronic health recording system (ABUCASIS) that is the usual way to register clinical practice in the Valencian Health System (primary and secondary care). The system covers about 95% of population (near 5 million people). The system is linked with database of mortality register, hospital withdrawals, prescriptions and assurance databases in which each individual have a unique identification number. Diagnoses in clinical practice are always registered based on IDC-9. Occurrence of CV disease was the main outcomes of interest. Risk survival analysis methods will be applied to estimate the cumulative incidence of developing CV events over time.

DISCUSSION

The Escarval-Risk study will provide information to validate different cardiovascular risk scales in patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia from a low risk Mediterranean Region, the Valencia Community.