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Hostility and chronic stress are known risk factors for heart disease, but they are costly to assess on a large scale. We used language expressed on Twitter to characterize community-level psychological correlates of age-adjusted mortality from atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD). Language patterns reflecting negative social relationships, disengagement, and negative emotions—especially anger—emerged as risk factors; positive emotions and psychological engagement emerged as protective factors. Most correlations remained significant after controlling for income and education. A cross-sectional regression model based only on Twitter language predicted AHD mortality significantly better than did a model that combined 10 common demographic, socioeconomic, and health risk factors, including smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Capturing community psychological characteristics through social media is feasible, and these characteristics are strong markers of cardiovascular mortality at the community level.

In a cluster-randomized trial, villages were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to use a salt substitute (75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride by mass) or regular salt. Among persons who had a history of stroke or were 60 years of age or older and had hypertension, rates of stroke, major cardiovascular events, and death were lower with the salt substitute, which had no apparent serious adverse effects.

Mortality due to coronary heart disease has declined substantially in the United States in recent decades. A previously validated model was used to estimate the roles of specific cardiac treatments and changes in risk factors in this decline. Approximately 47% of the decrease in mortality was attributed to therapeutic interventions and 44% to changes in risk factors. Mortality due to coronary heart disease has declined substantially in the United States in recent decades. Approximately 47% of the decrease in mortality was attributed to therapeutic interventions and 44% to changes in risk factors. Rates of death from coronary heart disease in the United States underwent profound secular changes during the 20th century. 1 , 2 After peaking around 1968, age-adjusted rates were cut in half. Two factors may have contributed to this decline. First, there have been substantial decreases in the prevalence of some major cardiovascular risk factors, including smoking, elevated total cholesterol, and high blood pressure. 3 – 8 However, the prevalence of both obesity and diabetes has increased alarmingly. 9 – 11 Second, there has been a revolution in the treatments for established coronary heart disease, with major breakthroughs in evidence-based therapies, including the use of thrombolysis, . . .

Lowering sodium intake with a reduced-sodium, added potassium salt substitute has been proved to lower blood pressure levels. Whether the same strategy will also reduce the risks of vascular outcomes is uncertain and controversial. The SSaSS has been designed to test whether sodium reduction achieved with a salt substitute can reduce the risk of vascular disease. The study is a large-scale, open, cluster-randomized controlled trial done in 600 villages across 5 provinces in China. Participants have either a history of stroke or an elevated risk of stroke based on age and blood pressure level at entry. Villages were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to intervention or continued usual care. Salt substitute is provided free of charge to participants in villages assigned to the intervention group. Follow-up is scheduled every 6months for 5years, and all potential endpoints are reviewed by a masked adjudication committee. The primary end point is fatal and nonfatal stroke, and the 2 secondary endpoints are total major cardiovascular events and total mortality. The study has been designed to provide 90% statistical power (with 2-sided α = .05) to detect a 13% or greater relative risk reduction for stroke. The power estimate assumes a primary outcome event rate of 3.5% per year and a systolic blood pressure difference of 3.0mm Hg between randomized groups. Recruitment is complete and there are 20,996 participants (about 35 per village) that have been enrolled. Mean age is 65years and 49% are female. There were 73% enrolled on the basis of a history of stroke. The trial is well placed to describe the effects of salt substitution on the risks of vascular disease and death and will provide important policy-relevant data.

Average sodium intake and stroke mortality in northern China are both among the highest in the world. An effective, low-cost strategy to reduce sodium intake in this population is urgently needed. We sought to determine the effects of a community-based sodium reduction program on salt consumption in rural northern China. This study was a cluster-randomized trial done over 18 months in 120 townships (one village from each township) from five provinces. Sixty control villages were compared to 60 intervention villages that were given access to a reduced-sodium, added-potassium salt substitute in conjunction with a community-based health education program focusing on sodium reduction. The primary outcome was the difference in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion between randomized groups. Among 1,903 people with valid 24-hour urine collections, mean urinary sodium excretion in intervention compared with control villages was reduced by 5.5% (-14mmol/day, 95% confidence interval -26 to -1; p = 0.03), potassium excretion was increased by 16% (+7mmol/day, +4 to +10; p<0.001), and sodium to potassium ratio declined by 15% (-0.9, -1.2 to -0.5; p<0.001). Mean blood pressure differences were -1.1 mm Hg systolic (-3.3 to +1.1; p = 0.33) and -0.7 mm Hg diastolic (-2.2 to +0.8, p = 0.35) and the difference in the proportion with hypertension was -1.3% (-5.1 to 2.5, p = 0.56). There were clear differences in population sodium and potassium intake between villages that were most likely a consequence of increased use of salt substitute. The absence of effects on blood pressure reflects the moderate changes in sodium and potassium intake achieved. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01259700.

The Salt Substitute and Stroke Study is an ongoing 5-year large-scale cluster randomized trial investigating the effects of potassium-enriched salt substitute compared to usual salt on the risk of stroke. The study involves 600 villages and 20,996 individuals in rural China. Intermediate risk markers were measured in a random subsample of villages every 12 months over 3 years to track progress against key assumptions underlying study design. Measures of 24-hour urinary sodium, 24-hour urinary potassium, blood pressure and participants’ use of salt substitute were recorded, with differences between intervention and control groups estimated using generalized linear mixed models. The primary outcome of annual event rate in the two groups combined was determined by dividing confirmed fatal and non-fatal strokes by total follow-up time in the first 2 years. The mean differences (95% CI) were -0.32 g (-0.68 to 0.05) for 24-hour urinary sodium, +0.77 g (+0.60 to +0.93) for 24-hour urinary potassium, -2.65 mmHg (-4.32 to -0.97) for systolic blood pressure and +0.30 mmHg (-0.72 to +1.32) for diastolic blood pressure. Use of salt substitute was reported by 97.5% in the intervention group versus 4.2% in the control group (P<.0001). The overall estimated annual event rate for fatal and non-fatal stroke was 3.2%. The systolic blood pressure difference and the annual stroke rate were both in line with the statistical assumptions underlying study design. The trial should be well placed to address the primary hypothesis at completion of follow-up.

To examine the potential for reducing cardiovascular risk factors in the United States of America enough to cause age-adjusted coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates to drop by 20% (from 2000 baseline figures) by 2010, as targeted under the Healthy People 2010 initiative. Using a previously validated, comprehensive CHD mortality model known as IMPACT that integrates trends in all the major cardiovascular risk factors, stratified by age and sex, we calculated how much CHD mortality would drop between 2000 and 2010 in the projected population of the United States aged 25-84 years (198 million). We did this for three assumed scenarios: (i) if recent risk factor trends were to continue to 2010; (ii) success in reaching all the Healthy People 2010 risk factor targets, and (iii) further drops in risk factors, to the levels already seen in the low-risk stratum. If age-adjusted CHD mortality rates observed in 2000 remained unchanged, some 388,000 CHD deaths would occur in 2010. First scenario: if recent risk factor trends continued to 2010, there would be approximately 19,000 fewer deaths than in 2000. Although improved total cholesterol, lowered blood pressure in men, decreased smoking and increased physical activity would account for some 51,000 fewer deaths, these would be offset by approximately 32,000 additional deaths from adverse trends in obesity and diabetes and in blood pressure in women. Second scenario: If Healthy People 2010 cardiovascular risk factor targets were reached, approximately 188,000 CHD deaths would be prevented. Scenario three: If the cardiovascular risk levels of the low-risk stratum were reached, approximately 372,000 CHD deaths would be prevented. Achievement of the Healthy People 2010 cardiovascular risk factor targets would almost halve the predicted CHD death rates. Additional reductions in major risk factors could prevent or postpone substantially more deaths from CHD.

Background: Heart disease and stroke continue to be the leading causes of death in the US. As a result, investigators continue to look for new and emerging biomarkers of disease risk. Because many of these emerging biomarkers are not as well documented as those of conventional lipid and lipoprotein risk factors, their value in clinical practice needs to be critically appraised and appropriate guidelines developed for their proposed use. Content: The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) convened a multidisciplinary expert panel to develop laboratory medicine practice guidelines for a selected subset of these emerging risk factors as applied in a primary prevention setting of heart disease and stroke. The NACB expert panel selected lipoprotein subclasses and particle concentration, lipoprotein(a), apolipoproteins A-I and B, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen, white blood cell count, homocysteine, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and markers of renal function as biomarkers that fell within the scope of these guidelines. Conclusions: Based on a thorough review of the published literature, only hsCRP met all of the stated criteria required for acceptance as a biomarker for risk assessment in primary prevention.

High sodium intake has been considered as the leading dietary risk factor for deaths and disability-adjusted life-years among older adults. High-quality randomized trials to evaluate the effects of practical sodium reduction strategies are needed. The study is a cluster randomized trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design conducted in 48 senior residential facilities in northern China. These facilities are randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to 1 of 4 groups: stepwise salt supply control (SSSC) in which 5%-10% of the study salt supply in the institutional kitchens will be reduced every 3 months, replacing normal salt with salt substitute (SS); SSSC only; SS only; or neither SSSC nor SS. The interventions last for 2 years with follow-up every 6 months. The primary outcome is the change in systolic blood pressure from baseline to 24 months. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, cardiovascular events, and death. The study has recruited and randomized 48 senior residential facilities with 1,606 participants. Mean age at baseline was 71 years, and 76% are male. Both types of salt intervention were initiated in the study facilities between January and April 2018. The study is well placed to define the effects of 2 practical and scalable sodium reduction strategies for blood pressure reduction and will provide important new data about safety of these strategies among older adults in China.

Background Progressive reduction of sodium intake is an attractive approach for addressing excessive salt intake, but evidence for this strategy in real practice is limited. We aimed to determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of a progressive sodium intake reduction intervention in real-world setting. Methods We randomized 48 residential elderly care facilities in China, with 1612 participants aged 55 years and older, to either progressive reduction (PR, 24 facilities) or no reduction (NR, 24 facilities) of the supply of study salt to the kitchens of these facilities for 2 years. The primary efficacy outcome was systolic blood pressure (SBP) at any scheduled follow-up visit. Secondary efficacy outcomes included diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at any scheduled follow-up visit, and major adverse cardiovascular events (comprising non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, hospitalized non-fatal heart failure, or vascular death) and total mortality. The perception of food saltiness, the addition of out-of-study salt in meals, and 24-h urinary sodium excretion were used as process indicators. Results Pre-specified analysis per randomization found no effect of the intervention on the 2-year overall mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and any other outcomes. However, post hoc analysis showed that the intervention effect on blood pressure varied over multiple follow-up visits ( p for interaction < 0.046) and presented favorable differences at the 24-month visit (SBP =  − 3.0 mmHg, 95%CI =  − 5.6, − 0.5; p  = 0.020; DBP =  − 2.0 mmHg, 95%CI − 3.4, − 0.63; p  = 0.004). The effect on 24-h sodium was non-significant (− 8.4 mmol, 95%CI =  − 21.8 to 4.9, p  = 0.216), though fewer participants with NR than with PR reported food tasting bland (odds ratio 0.46; 95%CI 0.29 to 0.73; p  = 0.001). Reporting of bland food taste and other process measures indicated that intervention delivery and adherence were not fully achieved as designed. Conclusions The experience of this real-world study demonstrated that achieving acceptability and sustainability of the progressive sodium intake reduction strategy among older adults was challenging, but it has shown potential for effectiveness in these and potentially other residential settings if the lessons of DECIDE-Salt are applied in further studies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03290716).