Trained Immunity as a Trigger for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease—A Literature Review

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases and represents a primary public health challenge. This chronic state may lead to a number of life-threatening conditions, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Lipid metabolism alterations and inflammation remain at the forefront of the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but the overall mechanism is not yet fully understood. Recently, significant effects of trained immunity on atherosclerotic plaque formation and development have been reported. An increased reaction to restimulation with the same stimulator is a hallmark of the trained innate immune response. The impact of trained immunity is a prominent factor in both acute and chronic coronary syndrome, which we outline in this review

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a general population-based sample without previous cardiac disease: concomitant physical and laboratory variables

Introduction. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is described as impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation and reduced chamber compliance. Misleading data on the prevalence of LVDD are available in the literature due to various definitions. This study aimed to assess the frequency of LVDD in a population without severe cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as to identify factors associated with it. Material and methods. Overall, 648 individuals without severe CVD were included. LVDD was assessed using the last 2016 guidelines (LVDD2016) together with the previous recommendations from 1998 (LVDD1998). Results. In total, 35 participants (5.4%) met the LVDD2016 criteria, and 29 people (4.5%) fulfilled only the LVDD1998 criteria. The strongest factors independently associated with LVDD2016 were body mass index (BMI), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin T, ejection fraction and circumference of neck and waist. LVDD2016 presents a significant association with the anthropometric measures (BMI, neck and waist circumference), LV function and overload as well as the inflammatory parameter. Conclusions. In the population without overt CVD the frequency of LVDD as defined by the latest 2016 guidelines is 5.4%. It was associated with inflammatory, cardiac damage and anthropometric parameters.Introduction. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is described as impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation and reduced chamber compliance. Misleading data on the prevalence of LVDD are available in the literature due to various definitions. This study aimed to assess the frequency of LVDD in a population without severe cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as to identify factors associated with it. Material and methods. Overall, 648 individuals without severe CVD were included. LVDD was assessed using the last 2016 guidelines (LVDD2016) together with the previous recommendations from 1998 (LVDD1998). Results. In total, 35 participants (5.4%) met the LVDD2016 criteria, and 29 people (4.5%) fulfilled only the LVDD1998 criteria. The strongest factors independently associated with LVDD2016 were body mass index (BMI), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin T, ejection fraction and circumference of neck and waist. LVDD2016 presents a significant association with the anthropometric measures (BMI, neck and waist circumference), LV function and overload as well as the inflammatory parameter. Conclusions. In the population without overt CVD the frequency of LVDD as defined by the latest 2016 guidelines is 5.4%. It was associated with inflammatory, cardiac damage and anthropometric parameters

Effectiveness of Lifestyle Modification vs. Therapeutic, Preventative Strategies for Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Primary Prevention—A Cohort Study

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are still the leading cause of death in developed countries. The aim of this study was to calculate the potential for CV risk reduction when using three different prevention strategies to evaluate the effect of primary prevention. Methods: A total of 931 individuals aged 20–79 years old from the Bialystok PLUS Study were analyzed. The study population was divided into CV risk classes. The Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation (SCORE), Framingham Risk Score (FRS), and LIFE-CVD were used to assess CV risk. The optimal prevention strategy assumed the attainment of therapeutic goals according to the European guidelines. The moderate strategy assumed therapeutic goals in participants with increased risk factors: a reduction in systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg when it was above 140 mmHg, a reduction in total cholesterol by 25% when it was above 190 mg/dL, and a reduction in body mass index below 30. The minimal prevention strategy assumed that CV risk would be lowered by lifestyle modifications. The greatest CV risk reduction was achieved in the optimal model and then in the minimal model, and the lowest risk reduction was achieved in the moderate model, e.g., using the optimal model of prevention (Model 1). In the total population, we achieved a reduction of −1.74% in the 10-year risk of CVD death (SCORE) in relation to the baseline model, a −0.85% reduction when using the moderate prevention model (Model 2), and a −1.11% reduction when using the minimal prevention model (Model 3). However, in the low CV risk class, the best model was the minimal one (risk reduction of −0.72%), which showed even better results than the optimal one (reduction of −0.69%) using the FRS. Conclusion: A strategy based on lifestyle modifications in a population without established CVD could be more effective than the moderate strategy used in the present study. Moreover, applying a minimal strategy to the low CV risk class population may even be beneficial for an optimal model