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The American Journal of Medicine Mar 2015One of the best-studied diets for cardiovascular health is the Mediterranean diet. This consists of fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole... (Review)
Review
One of the best-studied diets for cardiovascular health is the Mediterranean diet. This consists of fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes/nuts, and moderate alcohol consumption. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the burden, or even prevent the development, of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, depression, colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity, asthma, erectile dysfunction, and cognitive decline. This diet is also known to improve surrogates of cardiovascular disease, such as waist-to-hip ratio, lipids, and markers of inflammation, as well as primary cardiovascular disease outcomes such as death and events in both observational and randomized controlled trial data. These enhancements easily rival those seen with more established tools used to fight cardiovascular disease such as aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and exercise. However, it is unclear if the Mediterranean diet offers cardiovascular disease benefit from its individual constituents or in aggregate. Furthermore, the potential benefit of the Mediterranean diet or its components is not yet validated by concrete cardiovascular disease endpoints in randomized trials or observational studies. This review will focus on the effects of the whole and parts of the Mediterranean diet with regard to both population-based and experimental data highlighting cardiovascular disease morbidity or mortality and cardiovascular disease surrogates when hard outcomes are not available. Our synthesis will highlight the potential for the Mediterranean diet to act as a key player in cardiovascular disease prevention, and attempt to identify certain aspects of the diet that are particularly beneficial for cardioprotection.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Diet, Mediterranean; Humans; Metabolism; Observational Studies as Topic; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 25447615
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.10.014 -
Circulation Research Apr 2012The average lifespan of humans is increasing, and with it the percentage of people entering the 65 and older age group is growing rapidly and will continue to do so in... (Review)
Review
The average lifespan of humans is increasing, and with it the percentage of people entering the 65 and older age group is growing rapidly and will continue to do so in the next 20 years. Within this age group, cardiovascular disease will remain the leading cause of death, and the cost associated with treatment will continue to increase. Aging is an inevitable part of life and unfortunately poses the largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although numerous studies in the cardiovascular field have considered both young and aged humans, there are still many unanswered questions as to how the genetic pathways that regulate aging in model organisms influence cardiovascular aging. Likewise, in the molecular biology of aging field, few studies fully assess the role of these aging pathways in cardiovascular health. Fortunately, this gap is beginning to close, and these two fields are merging together. We provide an overview of some of the key genes involved in regulating lifespan and health span, including sirtuins, AMP-activated protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 and their roles regulating cardiovascular health. We then discuss a series of review articles that will appear in succession and provide a more comprehensive analysis of studies carried out linking genes of aging and cardiovascular health, and perspectives of future directions of these two intimately linked fields.
Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Longevity; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors
PubMed: 22499900
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.111.246876 -
Journal of Cardiology Jul 2021Uric acid, the end-product of purine metabolism in humans, is not only a cause of gout, but also may play roles in developing cardiovascular diseases such as... (Review)
Review
Uric acid, the end-product of purine metabolism in humans, is not only a cause of gout, but also may play roles in developing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular death. Several clinical investigations have reported serum uric acid as a predictive marker for cardiovascular outcomes. Although the causal relationship of hyperuricemia to cardiovascular diseases remains controversial, there has been a growing interest in uric acid because of the increased prevalence of hyperuricemia worldwide. This review article summarizes current evidence concerning the relation between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular diseases.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Gout; Humans; Hypertension; Hyperuricemia; Risk Factors; Uric Acid
PubMed: 33388217
DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2020.12.013 -
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and... Jun 2022Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common condition that is believed to affect >25% of adults worldwide. Unless specific testing is done to... (Review)
Review
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common condition that is believed to affect >25% of adults worldwide. Unless specific testing is done to identify NAFLD, the condition is typically silent until advanced and potentially irreversible liver impairment occurs. For this reason, the majority of patients with NAFLD are unaware of having this serious condition. Hepatic complications from NAFLD include nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition to these serious complications, NAFLD is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is the principal cause of death in patients with NAFLD. Accordingly, the purpose of this scientific statement is to review the underlying risk factors and pathophysiology of NAFLD, the associations with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diagnostic and screening strategies, and potential interventions.
Topics: Adult; American Heart Association; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Liver; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35418240
DOI: 10.1161/ATV.0000000000000153 -
The Lancet. HIV Apr 2020HIV-related cardiovascular disease research is predominantly from Europe and North America. Of the estimated 37·9 million people living with HIV worldwide, 25·6... (Review)
Review
HIV-related cardiovascular disease research is predominantly from Europe and North America. Of the estimated 37·9 million people living with HIV worldwide, 25·6 million live in sub-Saharan Africa. Although mechanisms for HIV-related cardiovascular disease might be the same in all people with HIV, the distribution of cardiovascular disease risk factors varies by geographical location. Sub-Saharan Africa has a younger population, higher prevalence of elevated blood pressure, lower smoking rates, and lower prevalence of elevated cholesterol than western Europe and North America. These variations mean that the profile of cardiovascular disease differs between low-income and high-income countries. Research in, implementation of, and advocacy for risk reduction of cardiovascular disease in the global context of HIV should account for differences in the distribution of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors (eg, hypertension, smoking), consider non-traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors (eg, access to antiretroviral therapy with more benign cardiovascular disease side effect profiles, indoor air pollution), and encourage the inclusion of relevant risk reduction approaches for cardiovascular disease in HIV-care guidelines. Future research priorities include implementation science to scale up and expand integrated HIV and cardiovascular disease care models, which have shown promise in sub-Saharan Africa; HIV and cardiovascular disease epidemiology and mechanisms in women; and tobacco cessation for people living with HIV.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; HIV Infections; Humans; Poverty; Prevalence
PubMed: 32243826
DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3018(20)30036-9 -
Current Atherosclerosis Reports Jul 2023The global epidemic of youth-onset obesity is tightly linked to the rising burden of cardiometabolic disease across the lifespan. While the link between childhood... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The global epidemic of youth-onset obesity is tightly linked to the rising burden of cardiometabolic disease across the lifespan. While the link between childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease is established, this contemporary review summarizes recent and novel advances in this field that elucidate the mechanisms and impact of this public health issue.
RECENT FINDINGS
The review highlights the emerging data supporting the relationship between childhood adverse events, social determinants of health, and systemic and institutional systems as etiological factors. We also provide updates on new screening and treatment approaches including updated nutrition and dietary guidelines and benchmarks for pediatric obesity screening, novel pharmacological agents for pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes such as glucagon-like 1 peptide receptor agonists, and we discuss the long-term safety and efficacy data on surgical management of pediatric obesity. The global burden of pediatric obesity continues to rise and is associated with accelerated and early vascular aging especially in youth with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Socio-ecological determinants of risk mediate and moderate the relationship of childhood obesity with cardiometabolic disease. Recognizing the importance of neighborhood level influences as etiological factors in the development of cardiovascular disease is critical for designing effective policies and interventions. Novel surgical and pharmacological interventions are effective pediatric weight-loss interventions, but future research is needed to assess whether these agents, within a socio-ecological framework, will be associated with abatement of the pediatric obesity epidemic and related increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Cardiovascular Diseases; Weight Loss
PubMed: 37256483
DOI: 10.1007/s11883-023-01111-4 -
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 2020With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, effective and cost-efficient therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk are highly... (Review)
Review
With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, effective and cost-efficient therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk are highly needed. Lipids and lipoprotein particles crucially contribute to atherosclerosis as underlying pathology of cardiovascular disease and influence inflammatory processes as well as function of leukocytes, vascular and cardiac cells, thereby impacting on vessels and heart. Statins form the first-line therapy with the aim to block cholesterol synthesis, but additional lipid-lowering drugs are sometimes needed to achieve low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol target values. Furthermore, beyond LDL cholesterol, also other lipid mediators contribute to cardiovascular risk. This review comprehensively discusses low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein (a), triglycerides as well as fatty acids and derivatives in the context of cardiovascular disease, providing mechanistic insights into their role in pathological processes impacting on cardiovascular disease. Also, an overview of applied as well as emerging therapeutic strategies to reduce lipid-induced cardiovascular burden is provided.
Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids
PubMed: 32730849
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.07.019 -
Current Cardiology Reviews 2018To summarize the main findings on variable cardiovascular risk factors and their management in everyday practice. (Review)
Review
AIM
To summarize the main findings on variable cardiovascular risk factors and their management in everyday practice.
METHODS
A narrative review of the relevant literature known to the authors and incorporation of healthy changes tips in defined variable cardiovascular risk factors.
RESULTS
There are known variable cardiovascular risk factors to be claimed as those that should be changed in order to achieve a better prevention of cardiovascular disease development. But, most papers are informative and they didn't incorporate exact measures for each variable risk factor. Our paper shows exact measures for each variable cardiovascular risk factor that should be incorporate in everyday practice of family practitioners and cardiologists as well.
CONCLUSION
The best cardiovascular disease' prevention should include a multidisciplinary team of experts and the entire community with the support of governmental and non-governmental organizations that will contribute to improving the lifestyle of individuals and the entire community through their activities and legal provisions. The most important factors in cardiovascular disease management are: recognizing individual risk factors, monitoring them, and assisting in changes in life-style habits that directly affect the defined risk factors of a patient. The simplest and most practicable guidelines for CV prevention in accordance with the national, cultural and socioeconomic aspects of their country of work are needed.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 29473518
DOI: 10.2174/1573403X14666180222102312 -
Protein & Cell May 2018Trillions of microbes inhabit the human gut, not only providing nutrients and energy to the host from the ingested food, but also producing metabolic bioactive signaling... (Review)
Review
Trillions of microbes inhabit the human gut, not only providing nutrients and energy to the host from the ingested food, but also producing metabolic bioactive signaling molecules to maintain health and elicit disease, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. In this review, we presented gut microbiota derived metabolites involved in cardiovascular health and disease, including trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), uremic toxins, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), phytoestrogens, anthocyanins, bile acids and lipopolysaccharide. These gut microbiota derived metabolites play critical roles in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular function, and if dysregulated, potentially causally linked to CVD. A better understanding of the function and dynamics of gut microbiota derived metabolites holds great promise toward mechanistic predicative CVD biomarker discoveries and precise interventions.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Metabolome
PubMed: 29725935
DOI: 10.1007/s13238-018-0549-0 -
Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal 2017Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. The pathophysiological basis of cardiovascular health among men and women... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. The pathophysiological basis of cardiovascular health among men and women is not identical. This leads to variable cardiovascular responses to stimulus and presentation of cardiovascular disease symptoms, both of which can have a direct effect on treatment outcomes. Traditionally, the enrollment of women in clinical trials has been minimal, resulting in a lack of gender-specific analysis of clinical trial data and, therefore, the absence of concrete risk factor assessment among women. However, scientific progress in the past decade has identified a spectrum of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases that may be specific to women. These risk factors, which may include menopause, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and depression, confer additional risk in women besides the traditional risk factors. The current state of knowledge and awareness about these risk factors is suboptimal at this time. Therefore, although the treatment of cardiovascular diseases is similar in both genders, appropriate risk stratification may be limited in women compared to men. The purpose of this review is to describe the recent trends in identifying female-specific risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, their utility in risk stratification, and current pharmacological options for women with regard to cardiovascular disease prevention.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Female; Health Status Disparities; Healthcare Disparities; Healthy Lifestyle; Humans; Life Style; Male; Preventive Health Services; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk Reduction Behavior; Sex Factors; Treatment Outcome; Women's Health
PubMed: 29744010
DOI: 10.14797/mdcj-13-4-185