Project description:Recent publications have stated that the blood pressure (BP) measurement technique used in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) was unattended. However, the SPRINT protocol does not address the issue of attendance. A survey was conducted immediately after SPRINT closeout visits were completed to inquire whether BP measurements were usually attended or unattended by staff. There were 4082 participants at 38 sites that measured BP after leaving the participant alone the entire time (always alone), 2247 at 25 sites that had personnel in the room the entire time (never alone), 1746 at 19 sites that left the participant alone only during the rest period (alone for rest), and 570 at 6 sites that left the participant alone only during the BP readings (alone for BP measurement). Similar systolic and diastolic BPs within randomized groups were noted during follow-up at the majority of visits in all 4 measurement categories. In the always alone and never alone categories, the intensive group had a similarly reduced risk for the primary outcome compared with the standard group (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.76 and hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.91, respectively; pairwise interaction P value, 0.88); risk was not significantly reduced for the intensive group in the smaller alone-for-rest and the alone-for-BP-measurement categories. Similar BP levels and cardiovascular disease risk reduction were observed in the intensive group in SPRINT participants whether the measurement technique used was primarily attended or unattended.Clinical trial registrationURL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01206062.
Project description:Adriatic islanders have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome that is not fully explained by previous behavioral, dietary, and genetic studies. Some DNA methylation remains stable and may be established in early life, whereas others are dynamic and may vary over time in response to different conditions. The objective of the present study was to identify stable and dynamic DNA methylation loci associated with cardiometabolic traits among the populations from the island of Hvar, the largest island in the eastern Adriatic coast. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) was conducted using peripheral blood that was longitudinally collected at two time points, 10 years apart. DNA methylation was analyzed via Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadArray. Stable and dynamic loci were identified using linear mixed models. A total of 43,041 loci were classified as stable, while 45,769 loci were classified as dynamic. Associations between various cardiometabolic traits and stable and dynamic methylation loci were respectively assessed using linear mixed effects models adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status. After adjustment for false-discovery rate, 24 CpG loci were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (Q < 0.1), of which 22 were stable loci and 2 were dynamic loci; while 12/22 (55%) of the systolic blood-pressure-associated stable loci resided in a gene promoter. Additionally, there was one stable locus associated with serum calcium and one with C-reactive protein. The results suggest that multiple genes involved in the determination of systolic blood pressure may be regulated via epigenetic programming established in early life.
Project description:Background Chronic sustained pressure overload induces cardiac remodeling, which often leads to heart failure. Cardiac macrophages (cMacs) are heterogeneous cell populations, and their elimination has been shown to exacerbate pressure overload-induced heart failure. CD163, a macrophage-specific scavenger receptor expressed in a subset of cMacs, has been linked to cardiovascular events through its serum soluble form. This study aimed to elucidate the functional role of the CD163+ cMacs subset in pressure overload-induced heart failure. Methods Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was performed on wild-type and CD163-deficient (Cd163-/-) mice to investigate the role of CD163 in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Echocardiography was used to assess heart structure and function. Transcriptomic analysis and transmission electron microscopy were employed to observe mitochondrial structure in cardiomyocytes. Flow cytometry was used to quantify cMacs and cytokine-expressing cMacs in the heart. Additionally, serum samples from hypertensive patients with and without heart failure were analyzed to explore the relationship between CD163 and heart failure. Results TAC-induced left ventricular systolic dysfunction, including reduced ejection fraction and fractional shortening, was significantly aggravated in Cd163-/- mice post-surgery. Genes differentially expressed due to CD163 deficiency were enriched in pathways related to mitochondrial bioenergetics and homeostasis. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an increase in dysfunctional mitochondria in cardiomyocytes of Cd163-/- mice post-TAC. Additionally, decreased serum interleukin (IL)-10 levels and reduced IL-10 expression in cMacs were observed in Cd163-/- mice post-TAC. IL-10 supplementation significantly reversed TAC-induced reductions in left ventricular systolic function and improved mitochondrial bioenergetics and homeostasis in Cd163-/- mice. Conclusions The protective functions of CD163 in cMacs are associated with IL-10 expression during pressure overload-induced heart failure.
Project description:BackgroundBrain perivascular spaces (PVS) are part of the glymphatic system and facilitate clearance of metabolic byproducts. Since enlarged PVS are associated with vascular health, we tested whether intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment affects PVS structure.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the Systolic PRessure INtervention Trial (SPRINT) MRI Substudy: a randomized trial of intensive SBP treatment to goal < 120 mm Hg vs < 140 mm Hg. Participants had increased cardiovascular risk, pre-treatment SBP 130-180, and no clinical stroke, dementia, or diabetes. Brain MRIs acquired at baseline and follow-up were used to automatically segment PVS in the supratentorial white matter and basal ganglia using a Frangi filtering method. PVS volumes were quantified as a fraction of the total tissue volume. The effects of SBP treatment group and major antihypertensive classes on PVS volume fraction were separately tested using linear mixed-effects models while covarying for MRI site, age, sex, Black race, baseline SBP, history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH).ResultsFor 610 participants with sufficient quality MRI at baseline (mean age 67 ± 8, 40 % female, 32 % Black), greater PVS volume fraction was associated with older age, male sex, non-Black race, concurrent CVD, WMH, and brain atrophy. For 381 participants with MRI at baseline and at follow-up (median ± IQR = 3.9 ± 0.4 years), intensive treatment was associated with decreased PVS volume fraction relative to standard treatment (interaction coefficient: -0.029 [-0.055 to -0.0029] p = 0.029). Reduced PVS volume fraction was also associated with exposure to calcium channel blockers (CCB).ConclusionsPVS enlargement was partially reversed in the intensive SBP treatment group. The association with CCB use suggests that improved vascular compliance may be partly responsible. Improved vascular health may facilitate glymphatic clearance. Clincaltrials.gov: NCT01206062.