Feasibility and safety of combined interventional procedures in elderly patients with complex cardiovascular diseases:experience of a single medical center

Objectives:To report the clinical experience of combined interventional procedures in the treatment of elderly patients with coexisting two or more cardiovascular diseases in our medical center, and to assess the feasibility, safety and therapeutic efficacy of this management strategy. Methods : Patients were selected to the study if: 1) age ＞65 years; 2) with coexistence of two or more cardiovascular diseases which are indications for interventional therapy; 3) patients' general condition and organ functions allow the performance of combined multiple procedures; 4) the predicted procedure time is within 150 min; 5) the predicted contrast medium dosage is within 300 ml. The criteria we analyzed included procedural type, rocedural time, fluoroscopy time, dosage of contrast medium, success rates of the procedures, complications and in-hospital mortality. All patients were followed up for 30.4 ± 9.3 months,to determine the all-cause mortality, recurrence rates and adverse cardiac events. Results : From January 2000 to December 2004,combined interventional procedures were performed on 136 patients, with 2 procedures on 134 patients and 3 procedures on 2 patients.The mean procedure time was 115.4±11.6 min, the mean fluoroscopy time was 35.7±9.3 min, and the mean dosage of contrast medium used was 183.6±19.4 ml. Procedural success rate was 100%, no procedure related death or major complications occurred.Conclusion: Performed by a competent team, combined interventional procedures in elderly patients with multiple cardiovascular diseases were feasible and relatively safe.

Red blood cell distribution width in elderly hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)is elevated in patients with cardiovascular disease(CVD).AIM To determine RDW values and impact of CV and non-CV coexisting morbidities in elderly patients hospitalized with chronic CVD.METHODS This prospective study included 204 consecutive elderly patients(age 77.5[7.41]years,female 94[46%],left ventricular ejection fraction 53.00%[37.50,55.00])hospitalized with chronic CVD at the Cardiology Department of Larissa University General Hospital(Larissa,Greece)from January 2019 to April 2019.Elderly patients were selected due to the high prevalence of coexisting morbidities in this patient population.Hospitalized patients with acute CVD(acute coronary syndromes,new-onset heart failure[HF],and acute pericarditis/myocarditis),primary isolated valvular heart disease,sepsis,and those with a history of blood transfusions or cancer were excluded.The evaluation of the patients within 24 h from admission included clinical examination,laboratory blood tests,and echocardiography.RESULTS The most common cardiac morbidities were hypertension and coronary artery disease,with acutely decompensated chronic heart failure(ADCHF)and atrial fibrillation(AF)also frequently being present.The most common non-cardiac morbidities were anemia and chronic kidney disease followed by diabetes mellitus,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,and sleep apnea.RDW was significantly elevated 15.48(2.15);121(59.3%)of patients had RDW>14.5%which represents the upper limit of normal in our institution.Factors associated with RDW in stepwise regression analysis were ADCHF(coefficient:1.406;95%confidence interval[CI]:0.830-1.981;P<0.001),AF(1.192;0.673 to 1.711;P<0.001),and anemia(0.806;0.256 to 1.355;P=0.004).ADCHF was the most significant factor associated with RDW.RDW was on average 1.41 higher for patients with than without ADCHF,1.19 higher for patients with than without AF,and 0.81 higher for patients with than without anemia.When patients were grouped based on the presence or absence of anemia,ADCHF and AF,heart rate was not increased in those with anemia but was significantly increased in those with ADCHF or AF.CONCLUSION RDW was elevated in elderly hospitalized patients with chronic CVD.Factors associated with RDW were anemia and CV factors associated with elevated heart rate(ADCHF,AF),suggesting sympathetic overactivity.

PCI compared with medical therapy in elderly patients with chronic symptomatic coronary artery disease

Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or older with chronic angina in which 47 patients were assigned coronary angiography and revascularisation and 56 patients with optimised medical therapy. The primary endpoint was quality of life after 6 months, as assessed by questionnaire and the presence of major adverse cardiac events (death, non fatal myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome with or without the need for revascularisation). Results After 6 months follow up, angina severity decreased and measures of quality of life increased in both treatment groups( P <0.05 ); however, these improvements were significantly greater after revascularisation( P <0.01 ). Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 30 ( 53.6% ) of patients in the medical group and 9 ( 19.1% ) in the invasive group ( P <0.01 ).Conclusions Patients aged 75 years or older with angina benefit more from revascularisation than from optimised medical therapy in terms of symptom relief and quality of life. Therefore, these patients should be offered invasive assessment despite their high risk profile followed by revascularisation if feasible.

Metabolic Disorders Increase the Risk to Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-aged and Elderly Chinese

Objective The association of metabolic syndrome （MetS） with cardiovascular diseases （CVD） has not been adequately explored in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. This study aimed to investigate MetS＇ prevalence and its impact on the CVD incidence in this specific population group. Methods A data set of a community-based prospective cohort study was analyzed. A total of 2300 subjects aged 40-94 years were followed up for the CVD events. MetS defined according to the JCDCG criteria was assessed at baseline, and the middle-aged and elderly groups were classified by the WHO definition. Results As compared with the middle-aged group, the prevalence of MetS increased by 0.6 times （34.6% vs. 21.3%） and the incidence density of CVD increased by 4.9 times in the elderly group （52.3/1000 person-year vs. 8.9/1000 person-year）. Furthermore, the multivariate Cox regression revealed that the risk to CVD incidence was independently related to increased waist circumference in the middle-aged group （HR=2.23, P〈0.01） and to elevated blood glucose in the elderly group （HR=1.39, P〈O.01）. Conclusion MetS was highly prevalent in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. MetS significantly increased the risk to OdD incidence in the elderly. All individuals with metabolic disorders should receive active clinical care to reduce the incidence of CVD.

Health Effect of Forest Bathing Trip on Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Forest bathing trip is a short, leisurely visit to forest. In this study we determined the health effects of forest bathing trip on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group was sent to forest, and the other was sent to an urban area as control. Flow cytometry, ELISA, and profile of mood states （POMS） evaluation were performed. In the forest group,

Usefulness of the Japanese version of Rapid Dementia Screening Test for mild cognitive impairment in older patients with cardiovascular disease:a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Cognitive decline is common among older patients with cardiovascular disease(CVD) and can decrease their self-management abilities. However, the instruments for identifying mild cognitive impairment(MCI) are not always feasible in clinical practice. Therefore, this study evaluated whether MCI could be detected using the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test(RDST-J), which is a simple screening tool for identifying cognitive decline.METHODS This retrospective single-center study included patients who were ≥ 65 years old and hospitalized because of CVD.Patients with a pre-hospitalization diagnosis of dementia were excluded. Each patient's cognitive function had been measured at discharge using the RDST-J and the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(Mo CA-J), which is a standard tool for MCI screening. The correlation between the two scores was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) analysis was also to evaluate whether the RDST-J could identify MCI, which was defined as a Mo CA-J score of ≤ 25 points.RESULTS The study included 78 patients(mean age: 77.2 ± 8.9 years). The RDST-J and Mo CA-J scores were strongly correlated(r = 0.835, P < 0.001). The ROC analysis revealed that an RDST-J score of ≤ 9 points provided 75.4% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity for identifying MCI, with an area under the curve of 0.899(95% CI: 0.835-0.964). The same cut-off value was identified when excluding patients with a high probability of dementia(RDST-J score of ≤ 4 points).CONCLUSIONS The RDST-J may be a simple and effective tool for identifying MCI in older patients with CVD.

Critical values of monitoring indexes for perioperative major adverse cardiac events in elderly patients with biliary diseases

BACKGROUND Major adverse cardiac events(MACE) in elderly patients with biliary diseases are the main cause of perioperative accidental death, but no widely recognized quantitative monitoring index of perioperative cardiac function so far.AIM To investigate the critical values of monitoring indexes for perioperative MACE in elderly patients with biliary diseases.METHODS The clinical data of 208 elderly patients with biliary diseases in our hospital from May 2016 to April 2021 were retrospectively analysed. According to whether MACE occurred during the perioperative period, they were divided into the MACE group and the non-MACE group.RESULTS In the MACE compared with the non-MACE group, postoperative complications, mortality, hospital stay, high sensitivity troponin-Ⅰ(Hs-TnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB), myoglobin(MYO), B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP), and Ddimer(D-D) levels were significantly increased(P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that postoperative BNP and D-D were independent risk factors for perioperative MACE, and their cut-off values in the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve were 382.65 pg/mL and 0.965 mg/L, respectively.CONCLUSION The postoperative BNP and D-D were independent risk factors for perioperative MACE, with the critical values of 382.65 pg/mL and 0.965 mg/L respectively. Consequently, timely monitoring and effective maintenance of perioperative cardiac function stability are of great clinical significance to further improve the perioperative safety of elderly patients with biliary diseases.

Characteristics of Associated Diseases in Older Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects the heart and blood vessels. Older people are considerably more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke or to develop coronary heart disease (commonly called heart disease) and heart failure than younger people. Caring for older patients with cardiac conditions is markedly different from caring for younger patients with the same diagnosis. Objective: This study aimed to explore the characteristics and prevalence of CVD and its associated comorbidities in older patients. Methods: This study reviewed the medical files of all patients aged 65 years and older with CVD. Data such as sociodemographic characteristics and CVD findings were collected from 1614 patients with CVD. Design and Setting: Single-center retrospective cross-sectional study. Subjects: Almost two-thirds (1044, 64.7%) of the patients were male, and one-third (570, 35.3%) were female;all had various comorbidities. Results: Two main comorbidities associated with CVD were hypertension (HTN) (1092, 67.7%) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (927, 57.4%). The mean number of comorbidities associated with CVD was 2.61 (±1.1 SD), with a higher average in males than in females (2.74 [±1.07] vs. 2.54 [±1.06]). Conclusion: Up to six associated comorbidities were found in older patients with CVD, mostly with three comorbidities per patient. Males accounted for two-thirds of the overall study population. HTN and diabetes mellitus were the main CVD-associated comorbidities. Furthermore, almost 95.2 patients were reduced every 5 years of age progression.

Analysis of clinical characteristics and risk factors between elderly patients with severe and nonsevere Omicron variant infection

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),has led to millions of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide.Elderly patients are at high risk of developing and dying from COVID-19 due to advanced age,decreased immune function,intense inflammatory response,and comorbidities.Shanghai has experienced a wave of infection with Omicron,a new variant of SARS-CoV-2,since March 2022.There is a pressing need to identify clinical features and risk factors for disease progression among elderly patients with Omicron infection to provide solid evidence for clinical policy-makers,public health officials,researchers,and the general public.AIM To investigate clinical characteristic differences and risk factors between elderly patients with severe and nonsevere Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant infection.METHODS A total of 328 elderly patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 2022 to June 2022 were enrolled and divided into a severe group(82 patients)and a nonsevere group(246 patients)according to the diagnosis and treatment protocol of COVID-19(version 7).The clinical data and laboratory results of both groups were collected and compared.A chi-square test,t test,Mann-Whitney U test,hierarchical log-rank test,univariate and multivariate logistic regression,and hierarchical analyses were used to determine significant differences.RESULTS The severe group was older(84 vs 74 years,P<0.001),included more males(57.3%vs 43.9%,P=0.037),had a lower vaccination rate(P<0.001),and had a higher proportion of comorbidities,including chronic respiratory disease(P=0.001),cerebral infarction(P<0.001),chronic kidney disease(P=0.002),and neurodegenerative disease(P<0.001),than the nonsevere group.In addition,severe disease patients had a higher inflammatory index(P<0.001),greater need for symptomatic treatment(P<0.001),longer hospital stay(P=0.011),extended viral shedding time(P=0.014),and higher mortality than nonsevere disease patients(P<0.001).No difference was observed in the application of Paxlovid in the severe and nonsevere groups(P=0.817).Oxygen saturation,cerebral infarction,and D-dimer were predictive factors for developing severe disease in patients with COVID-19,with D-dimer having an excellent role(area under the curve:90.1%,95%CI:86.1-94.0%).In addition,D-dimer was a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 according to multivariate stratified analysis.CONCLUSION The clinical course of severe COVID-19 is complex,with a higher need for symptomatic treatment.D-dimer is a suitable biomarker for identifying patients at risk for developing severe COVID-19.

Relationship between the Self-Efficacy and Mental Health of Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease in Rural Hebei Province

Objective:To investigate the self-efficacy and mental health of elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)in rural Hebei Province as well as to analyze the relationship between them.Methods:From June 2021 to December 2021,480 elderly patients with CHD from rural areas,who had been discharged by the Department of Cardiology from three tertiary hospitals in three cities with different economic levels in Hebei Province for more than a year,were selected as the research subjects.The general self-efficacy scale(GSES)and symptom self-rating scale(SCL-90)were used to investigate the self-efficacy and mental health of these patients.SPSS 25.0 was used for data analysis.Results:The total mean self-efficacy score of elderly patients with CHD in rural Hebei Province was 17.18±4.68,which is lower than the international norm(t=-32.067,P=0.000)and the national norm(t=-28.783,P=0.000);the total average SCL-90 score was 148.64±55.13,which is higher than the national norm for adults and the reference norm for ordinary elderly people;except for hostility and psychosis,the other dimensions were significantly higher than the national norm for adults(P<0.05);except for psychosis,the other dimensions were significantly higher than the reference norm for ordinary elderly people(P<0.05);the self-efficacy score was found to be negatively correlated with the total SCL-90 score and the score for each dimension(P<0.05).Conclusion:Elderly CHD patients with higher self-efficacy in rural Hebei Province have higher mental health level.It is suggested that the mental health of elderly patients with CHD in rural areas can be improved by improving their self-efficacy.

Quality of Life and its Influencing Factors in Urban Elderly Patients with Chronic Diseases

Objective: To analyze and discuss the quality of life of elderly patients with chronic diseases and its influencing factors. The aim of this study was to provide a theoretical basis for targeted intervention of influencing factors of chronic diseases and improvement of the quality of life of patients. Methods: A total of 1000 elderly patients with chronic diseases in our health center were randomly selected as the study subject. Questionnaire survey was conducted by self-designed questionnaire. The SF-36 quality of life scale was used to evaluate their quality of life;and linear regression model was used to explore the relevant influencing factors. Result: The SF-36 score showed that there was a correlation between the six dimensions, including overall health, physiological function, somatic pain, vitality, social function and mental health, and the number of chronic diseases in elderly patients. With the increase of chronic diseases, the scores of each dimension showed a downward trend. Linear regression analysis showed that age, anxiety and poor sleep quality were the main factors affecting the quality of life in elderly patients with chronic diseases. Conclusion: The quality of life of elderly patients with chronic diseases in our city is poor. In community work, targeted nursing and intervention should be given according to the types of diseases suffered by the elderly.

A Readmission Risk Prediction Model for Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Objective:To analyze the independent risk factors and establish a risk prediction model by investigating the readmission of elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)within 1 year after discharge.Methods:A total of 480 CHD patients,who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from October 2019 to December 2020,were included in this study.A general data scale,mental health status scale,the Clinical Frailty Scale,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,as well as the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale were used to collect data.According to the number of readmissions due to CHD within 1 year after discharge,the patients were divided into two groups:the readmission group(n=212)and the no readmission group(n=268).General data,laboratory examination indicators,frailty,mental health status,sleep status,as well as family intimacy and adaptability were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for the readmission of these patients,and R software was used to construct a line diagram model for predicting readmission of elderly patients with CHD.Results:Five factors including body mass index(OR=1.045),low density lipoprotein(OR=1.123),frailty(OR=1.946),mental health(OR=1.099),as well as family intimacy and adaptability(OR=0.928)were included to construct the risk prediction model for the readmission of elderly patients with CHD within 1 year after discharge.The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve for predicting readmission of elderly patients with CHD was 0.816;Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed X2=1.456 and P=0.989;the maximum Youden index corresponding to the predicted value of risk was 0.526.The results showed that the model could accurately predict the risk of readmission in elderly patients with CHD within 1 year after discharge.Conclusion:This study constructed a line diagram model based on five independent risk factors of the readmission of elderly patients with CHD:body mass index,low density lipoprotein,frailty,mental health status,as well as family intimacy and adaptability.This model has good discrimination,accuracy,and predictive efficiency,providing reference for the early prevention and intervention of readmission in elderly patients with CHD recurrence.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio for In-hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery disease （CAD） is a multifactorial disease in which inflammation plays a central role. This study aimed to investigate the association of inflammatory markers such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio （NLR）, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events （GRACE） score with in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction （AMI） in an attempt to explore the prognostic value of these indices for elderly AMI patients. One thousand consecutive CAD patients were divided into two groups based on age 60. The laboratory and clinical characteristics were assessed retrospectively by reviewing the medical records. The NLR and GRACE score were calculated. In the elderly （〉60 years）, patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction （NSTEMI） and ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） had significantly higher NLR than did those with unstable angina （UA） and stable angina pectoris （SAP） （P〈0.01）. The NLR was considerably elevated in older AMI patients compared with their younger counterparts （〈60 years） （P〈0.05）. In elderly AMI patients, the NLR was considerably higher in the high-risk group than in both the low-risk and mediumrisk groups based on the GRACE score （P〈0.05 and P〈0.01, respectively）, and the NLR was positively correlated with the GRACE score （r=0.322, P〈0.001）. Either the NLR level or the GRACE score was significantly higher in the death group than in the surviving group （P〈0.05）. By curve receiver operator characteristic curve （ROC） analysis, the optimal cut-off levels of 9.41 for NLR and 174 for GRACE score predicted in-hospital death [ROC area under the curve （AUC） 0.771 and 0.787, respectively, P〈0.001]. It was concluded that an elevated NLR is a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with AMI.

Hyperuricemia predicted adverse outcomes in very elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Objective Elevated serum uric acid predicts poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease.We aimed to examine associations between hyperuricemia and clinical outcomes among very elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF).Methods Elderly patients(≥80 years)with NVAF admitted to our hospital from January 2009 to December 2015 were retrospectively studied and were followed up until April 2017.

Cardiovascular Diseases and Radiations

Human beings have continually been exposed to radiation from sources that are terrestrial. There are different sources of radiation for instance ubiquitous background and medical exams that require X-rays. In America for example, the rate of radiation intake per individual increased from 1.6 to 6.2 mSv. The increase has been associated with increased imaging procedures in healthcare facilities. The continued exposure of people to radiant’s increases their rates of developing cardiovascular related diseases. A person who is exposed to low amounts of radiation over a long duration may in the long run develop heart diseases. The result has been obtained from an experiment with the Japanese survivors of the atomic bomb. This research paper focuses on the different sources of radiations and the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases. The paper also explains the possible relationship between radiations and cardiovascular diseases.

Protective effect of sevoflurane on lung function of elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a common respiratory disorder that affects the elderly population and increases the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications(PPCs)after major surgeries.Sevoflurane is a volatile anesthetic that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and attenuate lung injury in animal models.AIM To evaluate the protective effect of sevoflurane on the lung function of elderly COPD patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty(THA).METHODS In this randomized controlled trial,we randomly assigned 120 elderly patients with COPD,who were scheduled for THA,to receive either sevoflurane(sevoflurane group)or propofol(propofol group)as the maintenance anesthetic.The primary outcome was the incidence of PPCs within seven days after surgery.The secondary outcomes were changes in the lung function parameters,inflammatory markers,oxidative stress markers,and postoperative pain scores.RESULTS The results showed that the incidence of PPCs was significantly lower in the sevoflurane group than in the propofol group(10%vs 25%,P=0.02).Furthermore,the decline in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s,forced vital capacity,and peak expiratory flow was significantly lesser in the sevoflurane group than in the propofol group at 24 h and 48 h after surgery(P<0.05).The interleukin-6,tumor necrosis factor-alpha,malondialdehyde,and 8-hydroxy-2α-deoxyguanosine levels were significantly lower in the sevoflurane group than in the propofol group at 24 h after surgery(P<0.05).The sevoflurane group showed significantly lower postoperative pain scores than the propofol group at 6 h,12 h,and 24 h after surgery(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Sevoflurane protects the lung function of elderly COPD patients undergoing THA under general anesthesia by reducing the incidence of PPCs,attenuating inflammatory and oxidative stress responses,and alleviating postoperative pain.

Benefits of satins in elderly subjects without established cardiovascular disease : A metaanalysis

To assess whether statins reduce all-cause mortality and CV events in elderly people without established CV disease.

A cohort study on the association between fasting plasma glucose level over 5. 3 mmol / L and risks of abnormal glucose metabolism and cardiovascular diseases in the elderly

Objective To evaluate the association of fasting plasma glucose(FPG)level over 5.3 mmol/L with the development of abnormal glucose metabolism and cardiovascular disease(CVD).Methods This was a retrospec-tive cohort study with 1 064 non-diabetic subjects(980males;84 females)aged 60 or over,who carried out annual health check-up in Chinese PLA General

The relationship between the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and the airway remodeling in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of trannsient receptor potential vanilloid(TRPV1)and the severity of airway remodeling in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods According to airflow obstruction severity,totally 100 cases of elderly patients with