Article
Rheumatology
Annelies B. Blanken, Reinder Raadsen, Rabia Agca, Alper M. van Sijl, Yvo M. Smulders, Michael T. Nurmohamed
Summary: This study assessed the effect of 4 years of anti-inflammatory therapy on markers of subclinical vascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The results showed modest beneficial changes in some surrogate markers of subclinical vascular disease after anti-inflammatory therapy, which were associated with improvement in disease activity markers.
RHEUMATOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benjamin J. Varley, Amanda Henry, Lynne Roberts, Gregory Davis, Michael R. Skilton, Maria E. Craig, Megan L. Gow
Summary: This study investigated the vascular health of children exposed to intrauterine preeclampsia and found no major adverse differences in vascular health, which contrasts with existing studies. This suggests that exposure to intrauterine preeclampsia may result in a less severe cardiovascular phenotype in young children.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Karolis Azukaitis, Manish D. Sinha, Lukasz Obrycki, Michal Pac, Bojko Bjelakovic, Augustina Jankauskiene, Mieczyslaw Litwin
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the early effects and independent determinants of arterial structure and function in children and young people with primary hypertension. The results revealed that elevated blood pressure was associated with higher carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), while body mass index (BMI) showed weaker associations. Improvement in carotid wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) was associated with a decrease in measures of central obesity.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tino Yurdadogan, Carolin Malsch, Kornelia Kotseva, David Wood, Rainer Leyh, Georg Ertl, Wolfgang Karmann, Lara Mueller-Scholden, Caroline Morbach, Margret Breunig, Martin Wagner, Goetz Gelbrich, Michiel L. Bots, Peter U. Heuschmann, Stefan Stoerk
Summary: Communicating cardiovascular risk based on individual vascular age is an important concept in patient education and disease prevention. This study found that VA derived from pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness may produce conflicting results, with the former indicating a healthier vascular status than expected and the latter showing accelerated vascular aging in the majority of patients. Efforts are needed to standardize approaches to estimate VA for better comparability and clinical utility.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Anna Dieden, Leone Malan, Catharina M. C. Mels, Leandi Lammertyn, Annemarie Wentzel, Peter M. Nilsson, Petri Gudmundsson, Amra Jujic, Martin Magnusson
Summary: In this observational study, a multiplex proteomic platform was used to explore associations between 92 targeted proteins and deteriorating vascular health phenotypes in a cohort of black and white African school teachers. The study revealed significant associations between hypertension, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and specific proteins related to inflammation, chemotaxis, coagulation or proteolysis. Additionally, ethnicity played a role in some of these associations, highlighting the complexity of the relationships between proteins and vascular health markers.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Emma A. Vermeulen, Hanne B. T. de Jong, Alexander G. A. Blomjous, Coby Eelderink, Tiny Hoekstra, Petra J. M. Elders, Martin H. de Borst, Marc G. Vervloet, Adriana J. van Ballegooijen, Joline W. Beulens
Summary: This study did not find associations between dietary magnesium intake and multiple markers of vascular structure and function, in either cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. Participants with the highest magnesium intake did not show significant differences in various vascular outcomes compared to those with the lowest intake.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Judith T. Pruijssen, Joyce Wilbers, Frederick J. A. Meijer, Sjoert A. H. Pegge, Jacqueline J. Loonen, Chris L. de Korte, Johannes H. A. M. Kaanders, Hendrik H. G. Hansen
Summary: This study examined the alterations in intima-media thickness (IMT) and stiffness-related parameters in the carotid arteries of irradiated patients. The results showed increased IMT and shear wave velocity in certain segments of the irradiated carotids. These findings highlight the need for surveillance of radiation-induced vasculopathy.
RADIATION ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Maria Karolina Ferreira de Sousa, Raissa de Melo Silva, Yuri Alberto Freire, Gabriel Costa Souto, Marcyo Camara, Ludmila Lucena Pereira Cabral, Geovani Araujo Dantas Macedo, Eduardo Caldas Costa, Ricardo Santos Oliveira
Summary: This study examined the associations between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with vascular health phenotypes in older adults. The results showed that poor cardiorespiratory fitness, but not physical activity, was associated with the unhealthiest vascular health phenotype in older adults.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Lukasz Obrycki, Jedrzej Sarnecki, Michal Pac, Tadeusz Derezinski, Weronika Lewandowska, Janusz Feber, Mieczyslaw Litwin
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the differences between vascular age and chronological age in adolescents with primary hypertension. The results showed that the vascular age in the hypertension group was higher than the chronological age, especially in patients with measured hypertension. The difference between predicted vascular age and chronological age may serve as an indicator of early aging in adolescents with hypertension.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2023)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Line Sletner, Sarah R. Crozier, Hazel M. Inskip, Keith M. Godfrey, Pamela Mahon, Scott T. Chiesa, Marietta Charakida, Cyrus Cooper, Mark Hanson
Summary: The study found that postnatal linear and abdominal circumference growth were associated with early markers of atherosclerosis and later cardiovascular disease risk, while prenatal growth was not. Faster postnatal growth was related to higher blood pressure and pulse wave velocity, whereas faster growth in early gestation was associated with greater carotid intima-media thickness in children.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ovidiu Mitu, Adrian Crisan, Simon Redwood, Ioan-Elian Cazacu-Davidescu, Ivona Mitu, Irina-Iuliana Costache, Viviana Onofrei, Radu-Stefan Miftode, Alexandru-Dan Costache, Cristian Mihai Stefan Haba, Florin Mitu
Summary: This study evaluated the relationship between multiple subclinical atherosclerosis parameters and several CV risk scores in asymptomatic individuals. The results showed that different risk scores were associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, suggesting specific cut-off values for the risk scores to indicate the need for subclinical atherosclerosis assessment.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Egidija Rinkuniene, Vilma Dzenkeviciute, Zaneta Petrulioniene, Egle Majauskiene, Ligita Ryliskyte, Roma Puronaite, Jolita Badariene, Rokas Navickas, Aleksandras Laucevicius
Summary: The study found that elevated triglycerides are independently associated with increased arterial stiffness and thickness, specifically cfPWV, crPWV, and cIMT, potentially modifying cardiovascular disease risk in patients with metabolic syndrome.
BMC CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Xianghong Wang, Qian He, Donghua Jin, Baohua Ma, Kecheng Yao, Xiulan Zou
Summary: This meta-analysis confirmed a significant association between H. pylori infection and subclinical atherosclerosis, indicating a strong correlation with clinical significance. Sensitivity analyses showed robust results, and no significant publication bias was detected.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Xian-Li Pan, Li Nie, Shu-Yi Zhao, Xiao-Bao Zhang, Shan Zhang, Zeng-Feng Su
Summary: This study aimed to clarify the occurrence of atherosclerosis in patients with insomnia. The results showed that insomnia correlated with increased arterial stiffness and carotid atherosclerosis, and as the duration of insomnia prolongs, the correlation between them became more obvious.
NATURE AND SCIENCE OF SLEEP
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Wismandari Wisnu, Idrus Alwi, Nafrialdi Nafrialdi, Kuntjoro Harimurti, Tjokorda Gede D. Pemayun, Sri Widia A. Jusman, Dewi Irawati S. Santoso, Alida R. Harahap, Suhendro Suwarto, Imam Subekti
Summary: This study investigated the effect of antithyroid drugs on markers of vascular atherosclerosis in Graves' hyperthyroidism. The results showed that PTU had a better improvement in adhesion molecules compared to methimazole, with no significant changes in PWV or cIMT in either group.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Letter
Rheumatology
Dafna D. Gladman, Philip J. Mease, Paul Bird, Enrique R. Soriano, Soumya D. Chakravarty, May Shawi, Frederic Lavie, Cinty Gong, Evan Leibowitz, Denis Poddubnyy, Lai-Shan Tam, Philip S. Helliwell, Arthur Kavanaugh, Atul A. Deodhar, Mikkel Ostergaard, Xenofon Baraliakos
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Rheumatology
Philip J. Mease, Iain B. McInnes, Lai-Shan Tam, Raji Rajalingam, Steve Peterson, Fareen Hassan, Soumya D. Chakravarty, Christine Contre, Alison Armstrong, Wolf-Henning Boehncke, Christopher Ritchlin
Summary: The objective of this study was to update the network meta-analysis (NMA) comparing guselkumab with other targeted therapies for PsA. The results showed that guselkumab demonstrated better skin efficacy than most other PsA treatments and had comparable ACR responses to most agents.
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Pei-En Kao, Yung-Heng Lee, Kevin Sheng-Kai Ma, Amy Ker, Ying-Ying Leung
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Margaret Ma, Amelia Santosa, Warren Fong, Li-Ching Chew, Andrea H. L. Low, Annie Law, Yih Jia Poh, Siaw Ing Yeo, Ying Ying Leung, Victoria W. W. Ng, Joshua Z. E. Koh, Sen Hee Tay, Anselm Mak, Gim Gee Teng, Chuanhui Xu, Johnston G. X. Tang, Kok Ooi Kong, Stanley Angkodjojo, Wei-Rui Goh, Tyng Yu Chuah, Nur Emillia Roslan, Thaschawee Arkachaisri, Kai Liang Teh, Melonie Sriranganathan, Teck Choon Tan, Kee Fong Phang, Qai Ven Yap, Yiong Huak Chan, Peter P. M. Cheung, Manjari Lahiri
Summary: A national retrospective cohort study found a moderately high rate of flares of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, but also improvement in several patients. Severe flares and hospitalization were rare. Thus, vaccination remains safe and highly recommended.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2023)
Correction
Rheumatology
Ying-Ying Leung, Tatiana Korotaeva, Liliana Candia, Susanne Juhl Pedersen, Wilson Bautista Molano, Eric M. Ruderman, Radjesh Bisoendial, Rodolfo Perez-Alamino, Wendy Olsder, Burkhard Moller, Simeon Grazio, Tania Gudu, Girish M. Mody, Carlos Pineda, Helena Raffayova, Sherry Rohekar, Claudia Goldenstein-Schainberg, Sergio R. Gutierrez Urena, Julio Cesar Casasola Vargas, Bhowmik Meghnathi, Roopa Prasad, Pascal Richette, Jose Roberto S. Miranda, Nikolas Malliotis, Ulla Lind-Qvist, David Simon, Amara Ezeonyeji, Enrique R. Soriano, Oliver FitzGerald
JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lin-Hong Shi, Steven H. H. Lam, Ho So, Crystal Y. Y. Chan, Tena K. K. Li, Cheuk-Chun Szeto, Lai-Shan Tam
Summary: This study found that patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertension. Through adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, the study determined that longer disease duration, delayed diagnosis, and higher ESR levels are independent predictors associated with the development of hypertension. These findings highlight the importance of routine hypertension screening in axSpA patients.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL HYPERTENSION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xuechen Zhang, Isaac Cheng, Shaojun Liu, Chenrui Li, Jing-Hao Xue, Lai-Shan Tam, Weichuan Yu
Summary: This paper presents an automatic erosion detection method based on HR-pQCT images, which includes constructing a closed cortical surface and analyzing curvature information to detect erosions. The results show that the proposed method achieves satisfactory and consistent performance compared to annotations provided by medical experts.
COMPUTERIZED MEDICAL IMAGING AND GRAPHICS
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Marlene Sousa, Ennio Lubrano, Josef S. Smolen, Clemence Gorlier, Maarten de Wit, Laura C. Coates, Umut Kalyoncu, Adeline Ruyssen-Witrand, Ying-Ying Leung, Rossana Scrivo, Juan D. Canete, Penelope Palominos, Sandra Meisalu, Andra Balanescu, Uta Kiltz, Sibel Zehra Aydin, Inna Gaydukova, Emmanuelle Dernis, Bruno Fautrel, Ana-Maria Orbai, Laure Gossec
Summary: This study aimed to explore patient-defined flares in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and compare them to an increase in disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA). The validity of a patient-reported flare question was also analyzed. The results showed that patient-reported flares were associated with disease activity and symptoms, and there was moderate agreement between patient and physician definitions of worsening.
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Ying-Ying Leung, Arthur Kavanaugh, Christopher T. Ritchlin
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Ho So, Tsz On Lam, Huan Meng, Steven Ho Man Lam, Lai-Shan Tam
Summary: The use of glucocorticoids (GC) increases the risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, but there is controversy regarding the threshold dose and duration of GC use that will increase the CVE rate. This study found that a daily prednisolone dose ≥5 mg significantly increased the risk of CVE, while a daily dose below 5 mg was not associated with CVE risk.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Xiujuan Hou, Yung-Heng Lee, Tangliang Qian, Connie Chen, Lai-Shan Tam
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Ling Xiang, Sungwon Yoon, Andrea H. L. Low, Ying Ying Leung, Warren Fong, Tang Ching Lau, Dow Rhoon Koh, Julian Thumboo
Summary: This study explores the applicability of social cognitive theory (SCT) in improving symptom appraisal and help-seeking among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 ARD patients and the transcripts were coded using SCT as the framework. The study found that behavioral capacity and self-efficacy were lacking in symptom interpretation, leading to delayed help-seeking. Possible approaches to address this include education to improve behavioral capacity and self-efficacy and enhance expectations, observational learning, reinforcements, and reciprocal determinism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ho So, Evelyn Chow, Isaac T. Cheng, Sze-Lok Lau, Tena K. Li, Cheuk-Chun Szeto, Lai-Shan Tam
Summary: Patients with systemic lupus erythematous had similar disease control at 1 year with telemedicine follow-up compared to standard care, but in-person visits were needed, especially in patients with unstable disease.
JOURNAL OF TELEMEDICINE AND TELECARE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Warren Fong, Ting Hui Woon, Li-Ching Chew, Andrea Low, Annie Law, Yih Jia Poh, Siaw Ing Yeo, Ying Ying Leung, Margaret Ma, Amelia Santosa, Kok Ooi Kong, Chuanhui Xu, Gim Gee Teng, Anselm Mak, Sen Hee Tay, Tyng Yu Chuah, Nur Emillia Roslan, Stanley Angkodjojo, Kee Fong Phang, Melonie Sriranganathan, Teck Choon Tan, Peter Cheung, Manjari Lahiri
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with disease flares post COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and spondyloarthritis (SpA). The results showed that about one-fifth of patients experienced a disease flare after vaccination, but most flares were non-severe. Patients with active disease prior to vaccination, especially those with RA, should be closely monitored for disease flares.
ADVANCES IN RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Ying Ying Leung, Lihi Eder, Ana-Maria Orbai, Laura C. Coates, Maarten de Wit, Josef S. Smolen, Uta Kiltz, Penelope Palominos, Juan D. Canete, Rossana Scrivo, Andra Balanescu, Emanuelle Dernis, Sandra Meisalu, Martin Soubrier, Umut Kalyoncu, Laure Gossec