Different Contributions of Physical Activity on Arterial Stiffness between Diabetics and Non-Diabetics

<div><p>Background</p><p>We compared the contribution of physical activity to the change in arterial stiffness between patients with and without diabetes in ischemic heart disease.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We studied 96 (diabetes) and 109 (without diabetes) patients with ischemic heart disease treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Arterial stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) at the first diagnosis of significant coronary ischemia and 6 months after PCI and optimal medical therapy. Physical activity was evaluated using the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).</p><p>Results</p><p>CAVI values increased more for diabetic patients than for non-diabetic. The IPAQ scores did not differ between the two groups. During follow-up, CAVI values did not significantly change in either group. In diabetic patients, the CAVI score for 48 patients did not change (NC-group) and 48 patients improved (Improved-group). Physical activity scores were 937.9 ± 923.2 and 1524.6 ± 1166.2 in the NC- and Improved-groups, respectively. IPAQ scores and uric acid levels significantly affect CAVI improvement after adjusting for age, sex, baseline CAVI, total cholesterol, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>Determining factors influencing CAVI improvement during follow-up were significantly different between patients with and without diabetes. IPAQ scores and uric acid levels were significantly correlated with CAVI changes.</p></div

Odds ratio (p-value) of the improvement of CAVI during follow-up.

<p>Odds ratio (p-value) of the improvement of CAVI during follow-up.</p

Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of the improvement of CAVI during follow-up in patients with and without diabetes.

<p>Model adjusted for sex, age, blood pressure, the value of CAVI in the baseline, total cholesterol, eGFR, and uric acid.</p

Impact of the Distance from the Stent Edge to the Residual Plaque on Edge Restenosis following Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation

<div><p>Objectives</p><p>This study aimed to assess the relation between stent edge restenosis (SER) and the distance from the stent edge to the residual plaque using quantitative intravascular ultrasound.</p><p>Background</p><p>Although percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents has improved SER rates, determining an appropriate stent edge landing zone can be challenging in cases of diffuse plaque lesions. It is known that edge vascular response can occur within 2 mm from the edge of a bare metal stent, but the distance to the adjacent plaque has not been evaluated for drug-eluting stents.</p><p>Methods</p><p>A total of 97 proximal residual plaque lesions (plaque burden [PB] >40%) treated with everolimus-eluting stents were retrospectively evaluated to determine the distance from the stent edge to the residual plaque.</p><p>Results</p><p>The SER group had significantly higher PB (59.1 ± 6.1% vs. 51.9 ± 9.1% for non-SER; P = 0.04). Higher PB was associated with SER, with the cutoff value of 54.74% determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. At this cutoff value of PB, the distance from the stent edge to the lesion was significantly associated with SER (odds ratio = 2.05, P = 0.035). The corresponding area under the ROC curve was 0.725, and the cutoff distance value for predicting SER was 1.0 mm.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>An interval less than 1 mm from the proximal stent edge to the nearest point with the determined PB cutoff value of 54.74% was significantly associated with SER in patients with residual plaque lesions.</p></div

AGENDA POLÍTICA DEL MOVIMIENTO DE MUJERES: DEMANDAS DE FIN DE SIGLO

El movimiento de mujeres costarricenses de fin de siglo ha llegado a una maduración consensual en torno a puntos tales como la equidad por medio de cuotas de representación política, la responsabilidad paterna, así como la necesidad de desarrollar políticas públicas con perspectiva de género. Estas y otras demandas fueron publicadas entre 1995 a 2000 y constituyen una importante retroalimentación para la academia y la sociedad en general. La Agenda de Mujeres Costarricenses (1997) presenta los siguientes temas centrales: Economía, Ambiente y Desarrollo sostenible, Toma de decisiones, Violencia de género, Salud, Educación para la igualdad, Trabajo, Comunicación, Relaciones y Responsabilidades familiares, Arte y Cultura e Identidades culturales y étnicas. Dichos trabajos integran una agenda política de mujeres que se convierte en la base para las luchas conjuntas de los últimos años, lucha que requiere tanto la participación activa de los grupos de mujeres como de la academia

Privacy: An Issue of Priority

This note highlights the competing stakes in the online privacy debate. It provides an overview of the U.S. business model of companies that participate in data gathering and analysis, and why they do so (namely because of the emergence of Big Data technologies), and discusses examples of how online privacy has eroded in recent years, in turn highlighting the need for federal action. This note also discusses the current status quo of online privacy in America, and why current legislation is inadequate to address online privacy issues. It further includes a discussion of why the U.S. should let the new EU Directive be a guide for establishing its own comprehensive privacy protection framework, and concludes with an analysis of the most important principles that can be taken from the EU Directive. Additionally, strategies are discussed on how to incentivize companies to engage in beneficial research for the entire industry that could make the transition of complying with the new online privacy regulations more manageable

Study flow chart.

<p>EES: everolimus-eluting stent; IVUS: Intravascular ultrasound; LMT: left main trunk; SER: stent edge restenosis;</p

Receiver-operating characteristic analysis of distance from the stent edge to the nearest points with a lumen area cutoff value (Distance_lumen^cutoff) and a PB cutoff value (Distance_PB^cutoff) for SER.

<p>Statistical parameters of Distance_lumen^cutoff and Distance_PB^cutoff for predicting SER are shown below the graphs.</p

Background of patients in this study.

<p>pPCI: previous history of percutaneous coronary intervention.</p><p>pCABG: previous history of coronary artery bypass grafting.</p><p>eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate.</p><p>LMT: left main trunk.</p><p>LAD: left anterior descending artery.</p><p>LCx: left circumflex artery.</p><p>RCA: right coronary artery.</p><p>DAPT: dual antiplatelet therapy.</p><p>Background of patients in this study.</p

Values of lumen area (LA) and plaque burden (PB) within the 5 mm region proximal to the stent edge determined at 0.5mm intervals.

<p>SER: stent edge restenosis. Symbol * shows that there is a statistically significant difference between the SER and non-SER groups.</p