Publication: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
9 April 2021
Summary
This is a baseline analysis of physical activity (measured by accelerometer) of 124 patients, comparing those with confirmed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and those without HFpEF but with other HF diagnoses.
Publication: Nature Metabolism
Scott C. Ritchie, Samuel A. Lambert, Matthew Arnold, Shu Mei Teo, Sol Lim, Petar Scepanovic, Jonathan Marten, Sohail Zahid, Mark Chaffin, Yingying Liu, Gad Abraham, Willem H. Ouwehand, David J. Roberts, Nicholas A. Watkins, Brian G. Drew, Anna C. Calkin, Emanuele Di Angelantonio, Nicole Soranzo, Stephen Burgess, Michael Chapman, Sekar Kathiresan, Amit V. Khera, John Danesh, Adam S. Butterworth & Michael Inouye
8 November 2021
Summary
For the first time, scientists have used polygenic scoring to identify molecular drivers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which could be targeted to help prevent or treat some of these conditions.
Publication: NEJM Evidence
Tian X. Zhao, Rouchelle S. Sriranjan, Zewen Kelvin Tuong, Yuning Lu, Andrew P. Sage, Meritxell Nus, Annette Hubsch, Fotini Kaloyirou, Evangelia Vamvaka, Joanna Helmy, Michalis Kostapanos, Navazh Jalaludeen, David Klatzmann, Alain Tedgui, James H.F. Rudd, Sarah J. Horton, Brian J.P. Huntly, Stephen P. Hoole, Simon P. Bond, Menna R. Clatworthy, Joseph Cheriyan, and Ziad Mallat,
22 November 2021
Summary
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the artery wall. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) limit inflammation and promote tissue healing. Low doses of interleukin (IL)-2 have the potential to increase Tregs, but its use is contraindicated for patients with ischemic heart disease.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial, researchers tested low-dose subcutaneous aldesleukin (recombinant IL-2), given once daily for 5 consecutive days.
Publication: European Heart Journal
SCORE2 working group and ESC Cardiovascular risk collaboration
13 June 2021
Summary
The researchers analysed data from nearly 700,000 mainly middle-aged participants in 45 large-scale studies to develop risk prediction models (SCORE2) tailored for use in European countries.
The participants did not have previous history of CVD at the outset and 30,000 had a CVD event (heart attack or stroke) during the first 10 years of follow up.
These risk models were then statistically adapted or ‘recalibrated’ to more accurately estimate CVD risk for contemporary populations in four European risk regions, using data on population-specific CVD incidence rates and risk factor values from 10.8 million individuals. Read the full story
Publication: bioRxiv Preprint
Thomas L. Williams, Maria T. Colzani, Robyn G.C. Macrae, Emma L. Robinson, Stuart Bloor, Edward J. D. Greenwood, Jun Ru Zhan, Gregory Strachan, Rhoda E. Kuc, VDuuamene Nyimanu, View Janet J. Maguire, Paul J. Lehner, Sanjay Sinha, Anthony P. Davenport
21 January 2021
Summary:
Patients with heart disease are more susceptible to severe infection with SARS CoV-2, and the virus is thought to damage cardiovascular tissue. Researchers developed a test to screen medicines that are currently in use for other conditions to see if they would block the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and protect the heart and surrounding tissues.
Researchers found beating heart cells have the same special proteins SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter the patient’s tissues and used these cells to model a new system. Safely done in the laboratory, researchers looked at a virus and concentrated on the spike protein so it can infect the cells, but once inside the virus was unable to make copies of itself.
The researchers were then able to test compounds and licenced medicines to block the virus entering the heart cells in order to find a suitable treatment. This new screening gives the opportunity to test a wide range of medicines as well as new anti-viral drugs that are currently being developed.
Doing this and blocking entry of the virus can protect the heart and other tissues during infection. It will also help finding the best medicine to help stop patients getting seriously ill from SARS CoV-2.
Publication: Clinical Kidney Journal
Toby J L Humphrey, Glen James, Eric T Wittbrodt, Donna Zarzuela, Thomas F Hiemstra
30 January 2021
Summary:
In an observational study analysing data from over 430,000 patients, those who had their RAASi – blood pressure medications – interrupted or stopped, were found to have worse outcomes than those who continued with their treatment.
The patients who had medication interruptions or discontinuated were more likely to be hospitalised, to have a cardiac arrest or develop kidney damage than those who continued on their RAASi medications throughout the study.
This study highlights that the potential risks for and against RAASi treatment interruption or discontinuation be very carefully considered in patients for whom guideline-recommended RAAS inhibitor therapy is indicated.
Publication: JAMA
Eric L. Harshfield, Lisa Pennells, Joseph, Schwartz, Peter Willeit, Stephen Kaptoge, Steven Bell, Jonathan A. Shaffer, Thomas Bolton, Sarah Spackman, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Frank Kee, Philippe Amouyel, Steven J. Shea, Lewis H. Kuller, Jussi Kauhanen, E. M. van Zutphen, Dan G. Blazer, Harlan Krumholz, Paul J. Nietert, Daan Kromhout, MD19; Gail Laughlin, Lisa Berkman, Robert B. Wallace, Leon A. Simons, Elaine M. Dennison, Elizabeth L. M. Barr, Haakon E. Meyer, Angela M. Wood, John Danesh, Emanuele Di Angelantonio, Karina W. Davidson
15 December 2020
Summary
People who experience symptoms of depression are more likely to go on to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than those who report good mental health.
Researchers analysed the health records of over half a million people, with no prior history of heart and circulatory disease, who were enrolled to two different studies.
Upon joining the studies, participants were given a score based on questionnaires assessing their mood and any symptoms of depression that they had experienced over the previous one to two weeks.
Over 10, researchers have found that those in the highest scoring group, and with most severe symptoms of depression, were more likely to have since developed heart disease or to have had a stroke, compared to people with the lowest scores.
Publication: Nature Genetics
Praveen Surendran, Joanna M. M. Howson et al
23 November 2020
Increased blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related disability worldwide. Identifying biological pathways associated with blood pressure is important to understand the aetiology of CVD.
In this study involving collaborators from across the globe, and participants from diverse ancestries, researchers investigated whether genetic variants that a small proportion of people carry have an impact on blood pressure regulation and more readily implicate the genes underlying blood pressure regulation.
They identified 87 such genetic variants influencing blood pressure regulation that only a small proportion of people carry. In addition to identifying novel candidate genes associated with blood pressure, they showed a potential link between foetal development and an inverse relationship between systolic and diastolic blood pressure with stroke.
As shown in this study, a complex outcome like blood pressure requires large sample sizes to detect genetic variation associated with blood pressure that are rare in humans; studies to date have mainly looked at genetic variants that are carried by many people and therefore have very small effects on blood pressure regulation.
This study contributes to a significant improvement in researchers’ understanding of key genes controlling a risk factor like BP so they can better understand complex diseases like CVD and help identify new blood pressure therapies.
Publication: European Respiratory Journal
Anthony W. Martinelli, Tejas Ingle, Joseph Newman, Iftikhar Nadeem, Karl Jackson, Nicholas D. Lane, James Melhorn, Helen E. Davies, Anthony J. Rostron, Aldrin Adeni, Kevin Conroy, Nicholas Woznitza, Matthew Matson, Simon E. Brill, James Murray, Amar Shah, Revati Naran, Samanjit S. Hare, Oliver Collas, Sarah Bigham, Michael Spiro, Margaret M. Huang, Beenish Iqbal, Sarah Trenfield, Stephane Ledot, Sujal Desai, Lewis Standing, Judith Babar, Razeen Mahroof, Ian Smith, Kai Lee, Nairi Tchrakian, Stephanie Uys, William Ricketts, Anant R.C. Patel, Avinash Aujayeb, Maria Kokosi, Alexander J.K. Wilkinson, Stefan J. Marciniak
10 September 2020
Pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum have both been noted to complicate cases of COVID-19 requiring hospital admission. The research team reported the largest case series yet described of patients with both these pathologies that includes non-ventilated patients.
Cases were collected retrospectively from UK hospitals with inclusion criteria limited to a diagnosis of COVID-19 and the presence of either pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum. Patients included in the study presented between March and June 2020. Details obtained from the medical record included demographics, radiology, laboratory investigations, clinical management and survival.
Seventy-one patients from 16 centres were included in the study, of whom 60 patients had pneumothoraces (six also with pneumomediastinum), whilst 11 patients had pneumomediastinum alone.
Survival at 28 days was not significantly different following pneumothorax or isolated pneumomediastinum. The incidence of pneumothorax was higher in males. The 28-day survival was not different between the sexes. Patients above the age of 70 had a significantly lower 28-day survival than younger individuals.
These cases suggest that pneumothorax is a complication of COVID-19. Pneumothorax does not seem to be an independent marker of poor prognosis and the researchers encourage active treatment to be continued where clinically possible.
Anthony Martinelli and Margaret Huang are supported by the Wellcome Trust. Stefan Marciniak is supported by the Medical Research Council, NIHR Cambridge BRC, Royal Papworth Hospital and the Alpha1-Foundation.
Click to read: Punctured lung affects almost one in a hundred hospitalised COVID-19 patients
Publication: Nature
Duuamene Nyimanu, Richard G. Kay, Petra Sulentic, Rhoda E. Kuc, Philip Ambery, Lutz Jermutus, Frank Reimann, Fiona M. Gribble, Joseph Cheriyan, Janet J. Maguire, Anthony P. Davenport
27 December 2019
________________________________________________________________
Summary:
An LC-MS method was developed to measure Apelin in human plasma, and demonstrate apelin dosing achieved the correct concentration in volunteers. The extracts were also analysed on an LC-MS system to identify break-down products of the peptide that were produced in the body. The researchers found out that apelin is broken down from both ends of the peptide, but more so from the C-terminal. This information can be used to develop a better peptide that is stabilised against degradation, therefore improving its characteristics as a drug; and apelin-derived peptides may be potential new drugs for cardiovascular disease.
The NIHR Cambridge BRC is part of the NIHR and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Cambridge. We are at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest health research area.
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How can we help shape the places we live to foster healthy aging?
Watch Dr Louise Lafortune, Principal Research Associate at Cambridge Public Health @Cambridge_Uni talk about aging well in the community.
@CUH_NHS @CamPubHealth @NIHRresearch @louloulaf
New guidance helps clinicians talk about uncertain prognoses with older adults facing complex health needs.
Co-designed by researchers & patients, the recommendations aim to improve care of people in uncertain health circumstances.
Read more below:
https://www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-researchers-provide-new-guidance-clinicians-supporting-older-adults-complex-health-needs
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