Open data from the third observing run of LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA, and GEO

The global network of gravitational-wave observatories now includes five detectors, namely LIGO Hanford, LIGO Livingston, Virgo, KAGRA, and GEO 600. These detectors collected data during their third observing run, O3, composed of three phases: O3a starting in 2019 April and lasting six months, O3b starting in 2019 November and lasting five months, and O3GK starting in 2020 April and lasting two weeks. In this paper we describe these data and various other science products that can be freely accessed through the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center at https://gwosc.org. The main data set, consisting of the gravitational-wave strain time series that contains the astrophysical signals, is released together with supporting data useful for their analysis and documentation, tutorials, as well as analysis software packages

Plasma lipoproteins and apolipoproteins as predictors of cardiovascular risk and treatment benefit in the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER)

Background— Statins are important in vascular disease prevention in the elderly. However, the best method of selecting older patients for treatment is uncertain. We assessed the role of plasma lipoproteins as predictors of risk and of treatment benefit in the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER). Method and Results— The association of LDLc and HDLc with risk was examined in the 5804 70- to 82-year-old subjects of PROSPER. Baseline LDLc showed no relation to risk of the primary end point in the placebo group (P=0.27), nor did on-treatment LDLc in the pravastatin group (P=0.12). HDLc was inversely associated with risk in subjects on placebo (P=0.0019) but not in those on pravastatin (P=0.24). Risk reduction on pravastatin treatment was unrelated to baseline LDLc (P=0.38) but exhibited a significant interaction with HDLc (P=0.012). Subjects in the lowest 2 quintiles of HDLc (<1.15 mmol/L) had a risk reduction of 33% (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence limits, 0.55, 0.81; P<0.0001), whereas those with higher HDLc showed no benefit (RR, 1.06; 95% confidence limits, 0.88, 1.27; P=0.53). During follow-up, there was no relation between achieved level of LDLc or HDLc and risk. However, the change in the LDLc/HDLc ratio on statin treatment appeared to account for the effects of therapy. Conclusions— In people >70 years old, HDLc appears to be a key predictor of risk and of treatment benefit. Findings in PROSPER suggest that statin therapy could usefully be targeted to those with HDLc <1.15 mmol/L or an LDLc/HDLc ratio >3.3

C-reactive protein and prediction of coronary heart disease and global vascular events in the prospective study of pravastatin in the elderly at risk (PROSPER)

<p><b><i>Background</i></b> - The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting vascular events and response to statin therapy remains uncertain. Additional large prospective studies are required.</p> <p><b><i>Methods and Results</i></b> - Baseline CRP was related to risk over 3.2 years for primary a combined end point (definite or suspected death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and fatal or nonfatal stroke; n = 865 events) and secondary (coronary heart disease events or stroke alone) and tertiary (stroke plus transient ischemic attack) end points in the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (n = 5804 men and women; age, 70 to 82 years). CRP levels were higher in subjects who had a subsequent primary end-point event compared with those who did not (geometric mean; 3.64 mg/L [SD, 3.08 mg/L] versus 3.01 mg/L [SD, 3.05 mg/L]; P < 0.0001). CRP correlated positively with body mass index and smoking status and negatively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The unadjusted hazard ratio for the primary end point was 1.48 (95% CI, 1.26 to 1.74) in a comparison of top and bottom thirds for CRP, falling to 1.36 (95% CI, 1.15 to 1.61) with adjustment for established predictors and body mass index. Similar results were obtained for other end points or when results were examined separately by history of vascular disease. However, baseline CRP added minimally to risk prediction beyond conventional predictors and did not relate to the magnitude of pravastatin benefit.</p> <p><b><i>Conclusions</i></b> - Elevated CRP minimally enhances cardiovascular disease prediction beyond established vascular risk factors and does not predict response to statin therapy in elderly subjects at risk. These data suggest that CRP has limited clinical value in cardiovascular disease risk stratification or predicting response to statin therapy in elderly people.</p&gt