Spatial Distribution of the Cannabinoid Type 1 and Capsaicin Receptors May Contribute to the Complexity of Their Crosstalk

Angelika Varga has been supported by a European Union Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (254661), a Hungarian Social Renewal Operation Program (TÁMOP 4.1.2.E-13/1/KONV-2013-0010) and the Hungarian Brain Research program (KTIA_NAP_13-2-2014-0005) of the Hungarian Government. Agnes Jenes has been supported by a BJA/RCoA Project Grant. This work has also been supported, in part, by the BIOSS-2 Grant, Project A6.

Is flourishing good for the heart? Relationships between positive psychology characteristics and cardiorespiratory health

Introducción: Muchos estudios han demostrado que las características psicológicas positivas son factores de protección contra las enfermedades cardiovasculares. El objetivo de este estudio es ampliar los datos conocidos acerca de las relaciones entre las cualidades positivas y los parámetros cardiorrespiratorios, incluida la rigidez arterial. Método: Las hipótesis fueron contrastadas transversalmente en una muestra clínica de pacientes con enfermedades cardiovasculares y otra muestra de pacientes sanos. La satisfacción en la vida, el bienestar psicológico, el optimismo, el sentido de la vida y el sentimiento de coherencia fueron considerados indicadores psicológicos, mientras que las variables fisiológicas tenidas en cuenta fueron la presión arterial periférica y central, la rigidez arterial, el ciclo cardiaco y la función respiratoria. La relación entre las variables dependientes e independientes, ajustadas por sexo, edad y nivel educativo se analizó mediante un modelo lineal. También se examinaron las relaciones no lineales entre las variables dependientes e independientes. Resultados: La mayoría de las asociaciones estudiadas no fueron significativas para ninguna de las dos muestras, aunque con algunas excepciones notables: la satisfacción en la vida se relacionó con una tensión arterial sistólica periférica menor, así como con una presión arterial media más baja en la muestra clínica. El sentido de la coherencia se asoció positivamente al volumen respiratorio forzado. En la muestra sana, el índice aórtico y la presión arterial sistólica presentaron una asociación negativa con el optimismo; sin embargo, utilizando la corrección de Bonferroni, ninguna de las relaciones lineales o no lineales resultaron significativas en las muestras. Conclusiones: estudios futuros deberán determinar si estos hallazgos derivan de las características culturales de estas muestras en concreto, o si los mediadores entre la salud psicológica y la salud cardiorrespiratoria deberían ser buscados más allá de las variables incluidas en este estudio.The purpose of this study was to provide further data on the relationships between positive psychology constructs and cardiorespiratory parameters including arterial stiffness indicators. Hypotheses were tested cross-sectionally on a sample of patients with cardiovascular disease and on a healthy sample. Life satisfaction, psychological well-being, optimism, meaning in life, and sense of coherence were included as psychological indicators, while peripheral and central blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and heart cycle and respiratory function parameters were used as physiological variables. Most of the associations examined were not significant in either sample, with some notable exceptions (the direction of these linear relationships was in accordance with our expectations). Satisfaction with life was related to lower peripheral systolic and mean arterial blood pressure in the clinical sample. Further, sense of coherence was positively associated with forced expiratory volume. In the healthy sample, the augmentation indexes and aortic systolic blood pressure were negatively associated with optimism. However, none of the linear and non-linear relationships proved to be significant in either of the samples when using the Bonferroni correction. Further research should determine whether the present findings derive from the cultural characteristics of our samples or whether the mediators between flourishing and cardiorespiratory health should be sought among other variables than the ones included in the present investigation

A Survey of Empirical Results on Program Slicing

International audienceBACKGROUND:Patients with peripheral artery disease have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Antiplatelet agents are widely used to reduce these complications.METHODS:This was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial for which patients were recruited at 602 hospitals, clinics, or community practices from 33 countries across six continents. Eligible patients had a history of peripheral artery disease of the lower extremities (previous peripheral bypass surgery or angioplasty, limb or foot amputation, intermittent claudication with objective evidence of peripheral artery disease), of the carotid arteries (previous carotid artery revascularisation or asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis of at least 50%), or coronary artery disease with an ankle-brachial index of less than 0·90. After a 30-day run-in period, patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive oral rivaroxaban (2·5 mg twice a day) plus aspirin (100 mg once a day), rivaroxaban twice a day (5 mg with aspirin placebo once a day), or to aspirin once a day (100 mg and rivaroxaban placebo twice a day). Randomisation was computer generated. Each treatment group was double dummy, and the patient, investigators, and central study staff were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke; the primary peripheral artery disease outcome was major adverse limb events including major amputation. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01776424, and is closed to new participants.FINDINGS:Between March 12, 2013, and May 10, 2016, we enrolled 7470 patients with peripheral artery disease from 558 centres. The combination of rivaroxaban plus aspirin compared with aspirin alone reduced the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (126 [5%] of 2492 vs 174 [7%] of 2504; hazard ratio [HR] 0·72, 95% CI 0·57-0·90, p=0·0047), and major adverse limb events including major amputation (32 [1%] vs 60 [2%]; HR 0·54 95% CI 0·35-0·82, p=0·0037). Rivaroxaban 5 mg twice a day compared with aspirin alone did not significantly reduce the composite endpoint (149 [6%] of 2474 vs 174 [7%] of 2504; HR 0·86, 95% CI 0·69-1·08, p=0·19), but reduced major adverse limb events including major amputation (40 [2%] vs 60 [2%]; HR 0·67, 95% CI 0·45-1·00, p=0·05). The median duration of treatment was 21 months. The use of the rivaroxaban plus aspirin combination increased major bleeding compared with the aspirin alone group (77 [3%] of 2492 vs 48 [2%] of 2504; HR 1·61, 95% CI 1·12-2·31, p=0·0089), which was mainly gastrointestinal. Similarly, major bleeding occurred in 79 (3%) of 2474 patients with rivaroxaban 5 mg, and in 48 (2%) of 2504 in the aspirin alone group (HR 1·68, 95% CI 1·17-2·40; p=0·0043).INTERPRETATION:Low-dose rivaroxaban taken twice a day plus aspirin once a day reduced major adverse cardiovascular and limb events when compared with aspirin alone. Although major bleeding was increased, fatal or critical organ bleeding was not. This combination therapy represents an important advance in the management of patients with peripheral artery disease. Rivaroxaban alone did not significantly reduce major adverse cardiovascular events compared with asprin alone, but reduced major adverse limb events and increased major bleeding