Cardiovascular disease in the Ghanaian study sample (age≥50 years).

<p>Prevalences are given as percentages (95% confidence intervals) and distributions are given as medians (interquartile ranges), all for those aged 50 years and older. Peripheral arterial disease has been defined as an ankle-arm index below 0.9.</p

General characteristics of the Ghanaian study sample (age≥50 years).

<p>A description of the general characteristics is given for the study sample aged 50 years and older that participated in the electrocardiographic investigations. Total fertility rate is expressed as the number of born children per woman aged 45 years or more. Iqr – interquartile range.</p

Cardiovascular risk factors in the Ghanaian study sample compared with the American and European reference populations over age.

<p>Distributions over age are given as medians. Prevalences over age of hypertension are given as percentages, including stage I, stage II, and isolated systolic hypertension. Values for age represent midpoints of age intervals, because of different age groups used for the reference populations.</p

Cardiovascular risk factors in the Ghanaian study sample (age≥50 years).

<p>Distributions are given as medians (interquartile ranges), prevalences are given as percentages (95% confidence intervals) meeting the indicated risk factor criteria, all for those aged 50 years and older. Hypertension has been classified as stage I for diastolic blood pressures of 90 to 100 mmHg and/or systolic blood pressures of 140 to 160 mmHg, as stage II for diastolic blood pressures from 100 mmHg onward and/or systolic blood pressures from 160 mmHg onward, and as isolated systolic for systolic blood pressures from 140 mmHg onward with diastolic blood pressures lower than 90 mmHg. ApoA1 – apolipoprotein-A1. ApoB100 – apolipoprotein-B100.</p

Cardiovascular disease in the Ghanaian study sample compared with the American and European reference populations over age.

<p>Prevalences over age are given as percentages. Peripheral arterial disease has been defined as an ankle-arm index below 0.9. Definite myocardial infarction has been detected by electrocardiography. Values for age represent midpoints of age intervals, because of different age groups used for the reference populations.</p

Candidate Gene Analysis of Mortality in Dialysis Patients

<div><p>Background</p><p>Dialysis patients have high cardiovascular mortality risk. This study aimed to investigate the association between SNPs of genes involved in vascular processes and mortality in dialysis patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Forty two SNPs in 25 genes involved in endothelial function, vascular remodeling, cell proliferation, inflammation, coagulation and calcium/phosphate metabolism were genotyped in 1330 incident dialysis patients. The effect of SNPs on 5-years cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality was investigated.</p><p>Results</p><p>The mortality rate was 114/1000 person-years and 49.4% of total mortality was cardiovascular. After correction for multiple testing, <i>VEGF rs699947</i> was associated with all-cause mortality (HR1.48, 95% CI 1.14–1.92). The other SNPs were not associated with mortality.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>This study provides further evidence that a SNP in the <i>VEGF</i> gene may contribute to the comorbid conditions of dialysis patients. Future studies should unravel the underlying mechanisms responsible for the increase in mortality in these patients.</p></div

Baseline characteristics.

<p>Baseline characteristics.</p

Cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality.

<p>Cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality.</p

Temporal Trends of System of Care for STEMI: Insights from the Jakarta Cardiovascular Care Unit Network System

<div><p>Aim</p><p>Guideline implementation programs are of paramount importance in optimizing acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care. Assessment of performance indicators from a local STEMI network will provide knowledge of how to improve the system of care.</p><p>Methods and Results</p><p>Between 2008–2011, 1505 STEMI patients were enrolled. We compared the performance indicators before (n = 869) and after implementation (n = 636) of a local STEMI network. In 2011 (after introduction of STEMI networking) compared to 2008–2010, there were more inter-hospital referrals for STEMI patients (61% vs 56%, p<0.001), more primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures (83% vs 73%, p = 0.005), and more patients reaching door-to-needle time ≤30 minutes (84.5% vs 80.2%, p<0.001). However, numbers of patients who presented very late (>12 hours after symptom onset) were similar (53% vs 51%, NS). Moreover, the numbers of patients with door-to-balloon time ≤90 minutes were similar (49.1% vs 51.3%, NS), and in-hospital mortality rates were similar (8.3% vs 6.9%, NS) in 2011 compared to 2008–2010.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>After a local network implementation for patients with STEMI, there were significantly more inter-hospital referral cases, primary PCI procedures, and patients with a door-to-needle time ≤30 minutes, compared to the period before implementation of this network. However, numbers of patients who presented very late, the targeted door-to-balloon time and in-hospital mortality rate were similar in both periods. To improve STEMI networking based on recent guidelines, existing pre-hospital and in-hospital protocols should be improved and managed more carefully, and should be accommodated whenever possible.</p></div

Kaplan Meier survival curve for all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality for <i>VEGF rs699947</i>.

<p>Kaplan Meier survival curve for all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality for <i>VEGF rs699947</i>.</p