Biological mechanisms of disease and death in Moscow: rationale and design of the survey on Stress Aging and Health in Russia (SAHR)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prior research has revealed large differences in health and mortality across countries, socioeconomic groups, and individuals. Russia experiences one of the world's highest levels of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, great mortality differences within the population, and a heavy burden of ill health. Psychological stress has been suggested as a likely explanation of health loss and premature death in Russia and Eastern Europe. However, physiological mechanisms connecting stress with health in Russia remain unclear since existing epidemiological data are scarce and limited to conventional risk factors.</p> <p>Method and Design</p> <p>The survey on Stress Aging and Health in Russia (SAHR) is addressing this knowledge gap by collecting an unusually rich database that includes a wide range of reported information, physical and cognitive health outcomes, and biomarkers in a sample of Muscovite men and women aged 55 and older. The total planned sample size is 2,000 individuals. The sample was randomly selected from epidemiological cohorts formed in Moscow between the mid-1970s and the 1990s and from medical population registers. The baseline data collection was carried out from December 2006 to June 2009. Interviews and medical tests were administered at hospital or at home according to standardized protocol. Questionnaire information includes health, socio-demographic characteristics, economic well-being, cognitive functioning, and batteries on stress and depression. Biomarkers include anthropometry, grip strength, resting ECG, conventional cardiovascular factors of risk such as lipid profile and blood pressure, and other biochemical parameters such as those related to inflammation, glucose and insulin resistance, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and stress hormones. In addition to these measurements, SAHR includes dynamic biomarkers provided by 24-hour ECG (Holter) monitoring. This method continuously registers the beat-to-beat heart rate in naturalistic conditions without restrictions on normal daily activities. It provides information about heart functioning, including heart rate variability and ischemic and arrhythmic events.</p> <p>Re-examination of the study subjects will be conducted in 2009–2011 and will focus on health, functional status, economic conditions, behaviors, and attitudes towards aging. The subjects are also followed up for mortality and non-fatal health events.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The SAHR will produce a valuable set of established and novel biomarkers combined with self-reported data for the international research community and will provide important insights into factors and biological mechanisms of mortality and health losses in Russia.</p

Objective sleep duration and health in elderly Russians

Objectives - We examine the relationship between sleep duration and health in the high mortality context of Russia. Methods - Night and daytime sleep durations are based on self-reports and 24-hour heart rate trends (Holter monitoring). The sample of 201 individuals (Holter data for 185) is drawn from the Moscow Lipid Research Clinics cohort, followed up since 1975-77. Field-work occurred in 2002-03. Results - Although objective and reported mean sleep are similar, there are significant intra-individual differences. Significant associations are found between objective sleep and health: longer sleep corresponds to lower grip strength, poorer self-rated health and immediate recall, and higher mortality risk score. No significant relationships are found for subjective sleep. Conclusions - We provide the first evidence of an association between long sleep and worse health outcomes among elderly Russians. Predictive power increases if objective sleep measures are used, a consideration which is especially important in small studies.

Biological mechanisms of disease and death in Moscow: rationale and design of the survey on Stress Aging and Health in Russia (SAHR)

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Red flags to diagnose infiltrative cardiomyopathies

Infiltrative cardiomyopathies are a group of diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal substances in heart tissues, which leads to thickening of the walls or dilation of chambers with a secondary decrease in wall thickness and the development of diastolic, less often systolic, ventricular dysfunction. Most often, these are progressive diseases that, in the absence of adequate therapy, have an unfavorable prognosis. Clinical manifestations of infiltrative cardiac diseases are variable, which often leads to diagnostic difficulties and errors. In most cases, specific laboratory and morphological tests are required to confirm or clarify the diagnosis. Early diagnosis is critical to initiating therapy and improving patient prognosis. This article provides characteristic signs and symptoms, the so-called "red flags", making it possible to suspect infiltrative cardiomyopathies, diagnose them at an early stage and start life-saving therapy

Особенности суточного профиля артериального давления у здоровых детей в ходе адаптации к обучению в учебных учреждениях разного типа

Arterial hypertension in children is a serious socially important problem, because it holds a position within the top of cardiovascular diseases, beginning from the adolescent age. A timely start of preventive measures based on appropriate forecast assessment in children from risk groups will make it possible to reduce the disease burden in elder age groups. Research purpose. Based on comprehensive assessment of clinic-anamnestic, genealogic, psychologic data, peculiarities of daily profile of arterial tension in the course of adaptation to education in educational institutions, to characterize the markers and single out the factors associated with AT increase in children that are considered relatively healthy.Patients. On a voluntary basis, 199 children of 1–2 health groups were included in the research at the age of 10–12 years (11.3 ± 0.02 years) who had just started their education at a cadet educational institution or middle school. The children did not have any complaints by the time of the research, nor did they have the necessity of taking medicines which could have an effect on the cardiovascular system and acute infectious diseases during the previous month.Methods. The research was carried out during the period from September 2013 until May 2014 in 2 successive stages corresponding to the first and second academic terms. The examination included clinic-anamnestic and genealogic methods, anthropometry, three-fold measuring of arterial pressure by Korotkoff’s method, 24-hour ECG and AP monitoring, monitoring of motion activity volume, study of general and school levels of anxiety and psychic tension, assessment of the vegetative nervous system condition, nature of exercise tolerance and volume of additional sports load, volume of additional academic load.Results. The most important predictors of AH development and elevated AP persistence in children aged 10–12 years of 1 and 2 health groups are: values of SAP and/or DAP 90 and 95 percentile taking into account sex, age and height at one-shot measurements, the presence of AH in relatives within the immediate family, excessive (over 75 percent for this age and height) body weight and high (over 96 bpm) values of average day-time heart rate following results of HM. The previous data concerning a quick enough adaptation of children to increased daily loads was confirmed, including an authentic increase of motion activity volume within educational programs of cadet educational institutions.Актуальность. Артериальная гипертензия (АГ) является серьезной социально значимой проблемой, в том числе у детей, так как занимает одно из ведущих мест в структуре сердечно-сосудистой заболеваемости уже с подросткового возраста. Своевременное начало профилактики, основанное на адекватной оценке прогноза у детей из групп риска, позволит снизить заболеваемость у них в старшем возрасте.Цель исследования: охарактеризовать маркеры и выделить факторы, ассоциируемые с повышением АД у условно здоровых детей с учетом комплексной оценки клинико-анамнестических, генеалогических, психологических данных, особенностей суточного профиля артериального давления (АД) в ходе адаптации к обучению в учебных учреждениях кадетского и общеобразовательного типа.Пациенты и методы. В исследование на добровольной основе включены 199 детей 1–2-й групп здоровья в возрасте от 10 до 12 (11,3 ± 0,02) лет, впервые приступивших к обучению в учреждении кадетского образования или среднем звене общеобразовательной школы, не имеющих на момент исследования жалоб, необходимости приема лекарственных препаратов, влияющих на сердечно-сосудистую систему, а также острых инфекционных заболеваний в течение прошедшего месяца. Исследование проведено в период с сентября 2013 по май 2014 г. в два последовательных этапа, соответствующих первому и второму учебному полугодию. Обследование включало клинико-анамнестический и генеалогический методы, антропометрию, трехкратное измерение АД по методу Короткова, 24-часовое мониторирование электрокардиограммы и АД, регистрацию объема двигательной активности, исследование уровней общей и школьной тревожности и психического напряжения, оценку состояния вегетативной нервной системы, переносимости физической нагрузки, характера и объема дополнительной спортивной нагрузки, объема дополнительной учебной нагрузки.Результаты. Наиболее значимыми предикторами развития АГ и устойчивости повышенного АД у детей в возрасте 10–12 лет 1–2-й групп здоровья являются значения систолического и/или диастолического АД 90-го и 95-го перцентиля с учетом пола, возраста и роста при одномоментных измерениях; наличие АГ у родственников 1-й степени родства; избыточная масса тела (&gt; 75-го перцентиля для данного возраста и роста) и высокие (&gt; 96 уд/мин) значения средней дневной частоты сердечных сокращений по результатам холтеровского мониторирования. Подтверждены полученные ранее данные о достаточно быстрой адаптации детей к повышенным ежедневным нагрузкам, включая достоверное повышение объема двигательной активности, в пределах программ обучения учреждений кадетского образования

Ventricular arrhythmias. Ventricular tachycardias and sudden cardiac death. 2020 Clinical guidelines

Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC).With the participation of Russian Scientific Society of Clinical Electrophysiology, Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing, Russian Association of Pediatric Cardiologists, Society for Holter Monitoring and Noninvasive Electrocardiology.Approved by the Scientific and Practical Council of the Russian Ministry of Health

Paediatric and adult congenital cardiology education and training in Europe

Background: Limited data exist on training of European paediatric and adult congenital cardiologists. Methods: A structured and approved questionnaire was circulated to national delegates of Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology in 33 European countries. Results: Delegates from 30 countries (91%) responded. Paediatric cardiology was not recognised as a distinct speciality by the respective ministry of Health in seven countries (23%). Twenty countries (67%) have formally accredited paediatric cardiology training programmes, seven (23%) have substantial informal (not accredited or certified) training, and three (10%) have very limited or no programme. Twenty-two countries have a curriculum. Twelve countries have a national training director. There was one paediatric cardiology centre per 2.66 million population (range 0.87-9.64 million), one cardiac surgical centre per 4.73 million population (range 1.63-10.72 million), and one training centre per 4.29 million population (range 1.63-10.72 million population). The median number of paediatric cardiology fellows per training programme was 4 (range 1-17), and duration of training was 3 years (range 2-5 years). An exit examination in paediatric cardiology was conducted in 16 countries (53%) and certification provided by 20 countries (67%). Paediatric cardiologist number is affected by gross domestic product (R-2 = 0.41). Conclusion: Training varies markedly across European countries. Although formal fellowship programmes exist in many countries, several countries have informal training or no training. Only a minority of countries provide both exit examination and certification. Harmonisation of training and standardisation of exit examination and certification could reduce variation in training thereby promoting high-quality care by European congenital cardiologists.Developmen

Latent time-varying factors in longitudinal analysis: a linear mixed hidden Markov model for heart rates

Longitudinal data are often segmented by unobserved time-varying factors, which introduce latent heterogeneity at the observation level, in addition to heterogeneity across subjects. We account for this latent structure by a linear mixed hidden Markov model. It integrates subject-specific random effects and Markovian sequences of time-varying effects in the linear predictor. We propose an expectationŰ-maximization algorithm for maximum likelihood estimation, based on data augmentation. It reduces to the iterative maximization of the expected value of a complete likelihood function, derived from an augmented dataset with case weights, alternated with weights updating. In a case study of the Survey on Stress Aging and Health in Russia, the model is exploited to estimate the influence of the observed covariates under unobserved time-varying factors, which affect the cardiovascular activity of each subject during the observation period