Orthostatic hypotension predicts all-cause mortality and coronary events in middle-aged individuals (The Malmö Preventive Project)

Aims Orthostatic hypotension (OH) has been linked to increased mortality and incidence of cardiovascular disease in various risk groups, but determinants and consequences of OH in the general population are poorly studied. Methods and results Prospective data of the Swedish 'Malmö Preventive Project' (n = 33 346, 67.3% men, mean age 45.7 +/- 7.4 years, mean follow-up 22.7 +/- 6.0 years) were analysed. Orthostatic hypotension was found in 6.2% of study participants and was associated with age, female gender, hypertension, antihypertensive treatment, increased heart rate, diabetes, low BMI, and current smoking. In Cox regression analysis, individuals with OH had significantly increased all-cause mortality (in particular those aged less than 42 years) and coronary event (CE) risk. Mortality and CE risk were distinctly higher in those with systolic blood pressure (BP) fall >/=30 mmHg [hazard ratio (HR): 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9, P /=15 mmHg (HR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9, P = 0.024 and 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.5, P = 0.01). In addition, impaired diastolic BP response had relatively greater impact (per mmHg) on CE incidence than systolic reaction. Conclusion Orthostatic hypotension can be detected in approximately 6% of middle-aged individuals and is often associated with such comorbidities as hypertension or diabetes. Presence of OH increases mortality and CE risk, independently of traditional risk factors. Although both impaired systolic and diastolic responses predict adverse events, the diastolic impairment shows stronger association with coronary disease

A Common Missense Variant in the ATP Receptor P2X7 Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Events

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) regulates inflammatory cells by activation of the P2X(7) receptor. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in P2RX7 influence the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), ischemic stroke (IS) and cardiovascular risk factors and tested this hypothesis using genetic association studies. METHODS: Two loss-of-function SNPs in P2RX7 were genotyped in 1244 IHD cases and 2488 controls as well as 5969 individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. Eleven SNPs in a 250 kb region on chromosome 12 spanning P2RX7 as well as neighboring genes OASL, P2RX4 and CAMKK2 were genotyped in 4138 individuals with IS and 2528 controls. Association was examined using linear and logistic regression models with an additive genetic model. RESULTS: The common loss-of-function variant rs3751143 was significantly associated with a decreased risk of IHD in smokers (P = 0.03) as well as decreased risk of IS (OR 0.89; 95% CI = 0.81-0.97; P = 0.012). In addition, an intronic SNP in CAMKK2, rs2686342, were associated with a decreased risk of IS (OR 0.89; 95% CI = 0.82-0.97; P = 0.011). In subgroup analyses, both SNPs were associated with decreased risk of IS in individuals with hypertension (P = 0.045 and 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A common loss-of-function missense variant in the gene encoding the P2X(7) receptor is associated with reduced risk of IS and with IHD in smokers. These findings might implicate a role of purinergic signaling in atherogenesis or atherothrombosis

Dietary Fiber and Saturated Fat Intake Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Differ by Sex in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine associations between intake of macronutrients and dietary fiber and incident ischemic cardiovascular disease (iCVD) in men and women. METHODS: We used data from 8,139 male and 12,535 female participants (aged 44-73 y) of the Swedish population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. The participants were without history of CVD and diabetes mellitus, and had reported stable dietary habits in the study questionnaire. Diet was assessed by a validated modified diet history method, combining a 7-d registration of cooked meals and cold beverages, a 168-item food questionnaire (covering other foods and meal patterns), and a 1-hour diet interview. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data were collected by questionnaire. iCVD cases, which included coronary events (myocardial infarctions or deaths from chronic ischemic heart disease) and ischemic strokes, were ascertained via national and local registries. Nutrient-disease associations were examined by multivariate Cox regressions. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 13.5 years, we identified 1,089 male and 687 female iCVD cases. High fiber intakes were associated with lower incidence rates of iCVD in women and of ischemic stroke in men. In post-hoc analysis, we discovered statistically significant interactions between intake of fiber and saturated fat; these interactions also differed between men and women (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this well-defined population, a high fiber intake was associated with lower risk of iCVD, but there were no robust associations between other macronutrients and iCVD risk. Judging from this study, gender-specific nutrient analysis may be preferable in epidemiology

Motiven bakom Pernod Ricards förvärv av Vin&Sprit

Bakgrund: Bakgrunden till försäljningen av statligt ägda Vin&Sprit är att svenska regeringen har beslutat att statligt ägande av företag ska minskas. Försäljningen av V&S avslutade ett svenskt ägande av företaget som Ivan Bratt grundade 1917. Det köpande företaget Pernod Ricard grundades 1975 genom en sammanslagning av de två största franska producenterna Pernod och Ricard. Frågeställningar: Varför har Pernod Ricard valt att växa mekaniskt med hjälp av V&S? Hur skall förvärvet av V&S generera en ökad avkastning till aktieägarna? Vilka produkter inom V&S ligger i linje med Pernod Ricards produktportfölj och strategi? Syfte: Vi vill få förståelse till motiven bakom Pernod Ricards val att växa mekaniskt istället för organiskt, trots de stora ekonomiska riskerna som följer med denna expansionsstrategi. Metod: Vi har valt att göra en övergripande beskrivning av fallföretagens organisation, strategi och varumärken för att ge en bild av hur väl V&S passar in i Pernod Ricards strategi. Teori: Den första delen i teoriavsnittet som vi benämner företagsförvärv ger en överskådlig bild av vad som bör beaktas i strategifasen. De två efterföljande avsnitten SWOT och produktportfölj analyserar företagens interna och externa förutsättningar. Empiri: VI har valt att dela upp detta avsnitt i fyra delar. I den första beskriver vi försäljningsförloppet och den bransch som V&S och Pernod Ricard verkar i. I de två nästkommande delarna beskriver vi respektive bolags interna och externa förutsättningar. Den sista delen behandlar Pernod Ricards förvärv av V&S. Slutsatser: Förvärvet löser två av Pernod Ricards största svagheter, nämligen avsaknad av en egenproducerad global vodka, och en svag USA marknad. Det kanske viktigaste skälet till att det blev just V&S, är att förvärvet av Stolichnaya inte blivit av, vilket var Pernod Ricards ursprungliga förhoppning

Increasing stroke incidence and decreasing case fatality, 1989-1998: a study from the stroke register in Malmö, Sweden.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although the incidence of and mortality from myocardial infarction (MI) have declined in most industrialized countries, incidence studies of stroke have shown less consistent trends. This study examines time trends in the incidence of stroke and case fatality rates in relation to socioeconomic circumstances and history of MI.METHODS: Stroke incidence in the city of Malmö, Sweden (250,000 citizens), has been continuously monitored since 1989. All patients 50 to 79 years of age who experienced a first-ever stroke between 1989 and 1998 were included.RESULTS: We included 3621 patients (1969 men, 1652 women). The age-standardized incidence was 647 per 100,000 persons-years for men and 400 per 100,000 persons-years for women. The annual increase-3.1% in men (P<0.05) and 2.9% in women (P<0.05)-was more pronounced in the younger age groups and was lowest in areas with poor socioeconomic circumstances. We found that 13% of the men and 6% of the women had a history of MI; this proportion was stable over the study period. The average case fatality rates in 1989 to 1998 were 10% for men and 9.3% for women. Rates remained stable for men but declined significantly in women (odds ratio per year, 0.895; 95% confidence interval, 0.84 to 0.95).CONCLUSIONS: In this urban population, stroke incidence increased between 1989 and 1998. The rate of increase tended to be lower in residential areas with least favorable socioeconomic circumstances. The proportion with a history of MI remained unchanged during the study period. There has been significant improvement in the case fatality rate in women but not in men