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Background Mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) remains at quite notable levels. Research on the risk factors and the treatment of CHD has focused on physiological factors, but there is an increasing amount of evidence connecting mental health and personality traits to CHD, too. The data concerning the connection of CHD and dispositional optimism and pessimism as personality traits is relatively scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between optimism, pessimism, and CHD mortality. Methods This was an 11-year prospective cohort study on a regional sample of three cohorts, aged 52–56, 62–66, and 72–76 years at baseline ( N  = 2815). The levels of dispositional optimism and pessimism of the study subjects were determined at baseline using a revised version of the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Eleven years later, those results and follow-up data about CHD as a cause of death were used to calculate odds. Adjustments were made for cardiovascular disease risk. Results Those who died because of CHD were significantly more pessimistic at baseline than the others. This finding applies to both men and women. Among the study subjects in the highest quartile of pessimism, the adjusted risk of death caused by CHD was approximately 2.2-fold (OR 2.17, 95 % CI 1.21–3.89) compared to the subjects in the lowest quartile. Optimism did not seem to have any connection with the risk of CHD-induced mortality. Conclusions Pessimism seems to be a substantial risk factor for death from CHD. As an easily measured variable, it might be a very useful tool together with the other known risk factors to determine the risk of CHD-induced mortality.

Objective To evaluate the association between body mass index and mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and specific subtypes of cardiovascular disease in east and south Asians.Design Pooled analyses of 20 prospective cohorts in Asia, including data from 835 082 east Asians and 289 815 south Asians. Cohorts were identified through a systematic search of the literature in early 2008, followed by a survey that was sent to each cohort to assess data availability.Setting General populations in east Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea) and south Asia (India and Bangladesh).Participants 1 124 897 men and women (mean age 53.4 years at baseline).Main outcome measures Risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and (in east Asians only) stroke subtypes.Results 49 184 cardiovascular deaths (40 791 in east Asians and 8393 in south Asians) were identified during a mean follow-up of 9.7 years. East Asians with a body mass index of 25 or above had a raised risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, compared with the reference range of body mass index (values 22.5-24.9; hazard ratio 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.15), 1.27 (1.20 to 1.35), 1.59 (1.43 to 1.76), 1.74 (1.47 to 2.06), and 1.97 (1.44 to 2.71) for body mass index ranges 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, 32.5-34.9, and 35.0-50.0, respectively). This association was similar for risk of death from coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke; for haemorrhagic stroke, the risk of death was higher at body mass index values of 27.5 and above. Elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also observed at lower categories of body mass index (hazard ratio 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.39) and 2.16 (1.37 to 3.40) for body mass index ranges 15.0-17.4 and <15.0, respectively), compared with the reference range. In south Asians, the association between body mass index and mortality from cardiovascular disease was less pronounced than that in east Asians. South Asians had an increased risk of death observed for coronary heart disease only in individuals with a body mass index greater than 35 (hazard ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 3.12).Conclusions Body mass index shows a U shaped association with death from overall cardiovascular disease among east Asians: increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease is observed at lower and higher ranges of body mass index. A high body mass index is a risk factor for mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and for specific diseases, including coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke in east Asians. Higher body mass index is a weak risk factor for mortality from cardiovascular disease in south Asians.

The Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) trial was a non-inferiority trial that compared percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with de-novo three-vessel and left main coronary artery disease, and reported results up to 5 years. We now report 10-year all-cause death results. The SYNTAX Extended Survival (SYNTAXES) study is an investigator-driven extension of follow-up of a multicentre, randomised controlled trial done in 85 hospitals across 18 North American and European countries. Patients with de-novo three-vessel and left main coronary artery disease were randomly assigned (1:1) to the PCI group or CABG group. Patients with a history of PCI or CABG, acute myocardial infarction, or an indication for concomitant cardiac surgery were excluded. The primary endpoint of the SYNTAXES study was 10-year all-cause death, which was assessed according to the intention-to-treat principle. Prespecified subgroup analyses were performed according to the presence or absence of left main coronary artery disease and diabetes, and according to coronary complexity defined by core laboratory SYNTAX score tertiles. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03417050. From March, 2005, to April, 2007, 1800 patients were randomly assigned to the PCI (n=903) or CABG (n=897) group. Vital status information at 10 years was complete for 841 (93%) patients in the PCI group and 848 (95%) patients in the CABG group. At 10 years, 248 (28%) patients had died after PCI and 212 (24%) after CABG (hazard ratio 1·19 [95% CI 0·99–1·43], p=0·066). Among patients with three-vessel disease, 153 (28%) of 546 had died after PCI versus 114 (21%) of 549 after CABG (hazard ratio 1·42 [95% CI 1·11–1·81]), and among patients with left main coronary artery disease, 95 (27%) of 357 had died after PCI versus 98 (28%) of 348 after CABG (0·92 [0·69–1·22], pinteraction=0·023). There was no treatment-by-subgroup interaction with diabetes (pinteraction=0·60) and no linear trend across SYNTAX score tertiles (ptrend=0·20). At 10 years, no significant difference existed in all-cause death between PCI using first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents and CABG. However, CABG provided a significant survival benefit in patients with three-vessel disease, but not in patients with left main coronary artery disease. German Foundation of Heart Research (SYNTAXES study, 5–10-year follow-up) and Boston Scientific Corporation (SYNTAX study, 0–5-year follow-up).

This review tries to answer the following 15 questions: Is atherosclerosis a systemic or a regional disease? Is atherosclerosis in any particular region focal or diffuse? What is the quantity of atherosclerotic plaques in endarterectomy specimens of the right coronary artery in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) compared to that in the right coronary artery in patients with fatal coronary artery disease? How do the units used for measuring arterial narrowing by angiography compare to the units used for measuring arterial narrowing at necropsy? What do atherosclerotic plaques consist of in coronary arteries in patients with fatal coronary disease? What is the quantity of atherosclerotic plaque in bypassed -vs- non-bypassed native coronary arteries in patients dying early (<60 days) or late (>60 days) after coronary artery bypass grafting? What is the frequency of acute coronary lesions and multi-luminal channels at necropsy in patients with unstable angina pectoris, sudden coronary death, and acute myocardial infarction? What is the mechanism of luminal widening by angioplasty in the coronary arteries? What observations suggest that atherosclerotic plaques are the result at least in part of organization of thrombi? Is atherosclerosis a multifactoral or a unifactoral disease? What characteristics distinguish carnivores and herbivores? What are reasonable guidelines for whom to treat with lipid-altering agents? What is the rule of 5 and the rule of 7 in statin therapy? What is the effect of lipid lowering drug therapy on coronary luminal narrowing? What are some requisites for a healthy life?

A cohort of patients who underwent stent implantation for unprotected left main coronary artery disease was compared with a propensity-matched cohort of patients who underwent coronary-artery bypass grafting. The risk of death and the composite outcome of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke did not differ significantly between the two groups. The risk of target-vessel revascularization was higher in the group that received stents. The risk of death and the composite outcome of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke did not differ significantly between the two groups. The risk of target-vessel revascularization was higher in the group that received stents. Significant narrowing of the left main coronary artery puts a patient at high risk, since it can jeopardize the entire myocardium of the left ventricle, and it has the worst prognosis of any form of coronary artery disease. 1 On the basis of clinical trials that show a survival benefit with bypass surgery as compared with medical treatment, 1 – 4 coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been considered standard therapy for patients with left main coronary artery disease and is recommended by current practice guidelines. 5 , 6 Because of concern about procedural risk and long-term durability, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) usually has been restricted . . .

Objectives Psychosocial work stressors are common exposures affecting the working population, and there is good evidence that they have adverse health consequences. There is some evidence that they may impact on mortality, but this has not been systematically examined. We performed a systematic review, including risk of bias, and meta-analyses of observational studies to examine the association between psychosocial work stressors and all-cause mortality and death due to coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods Electronic databases were searched to identify studies and information on study characteristics and outcomes extracted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Risk estimates of outcomes associated with psychosocial work stressors: specifically, all-cause mortality, and death due to CHD were pooled using inverse variance weighted random effects meta-analysis. Results We identified 45 eligible cohort studies, of which 32 were included in the quantitative analyses of psychosocial work stressors and mortality. Low job control was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.37, minimally-adjusted; HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.10, multivariable-adjusted; HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06 exclusion of low quality studies and multivariable-adjusted] and CHD mortality [HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.42-1.58, minimally-adjusted; HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.17-1.30, multivariable-adjusted; HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01-1.40, exclusion of low quality studies and multivariable-adjusted]. Conclusions Workers with low job control are at increased risk of all-cause and CHD mortality compared to workers with high job control. Policy and practice interventions to improve job control could contribute to reductions in all-cause and CHD mortality.

Mortality rates for coronary heart disease (CHD) experience a longstanding decline, attributed to progress in prevention, diagnostics and therapy. However, CHD mortality rates vary between countries. To estimate whether national patterns of causes of death impact CHD mortality, data from the WHO “European detailed mortality database” for 2000 and 2013 for populations aged ≥ 80 years was analyzed. We extracted mortality rates for total mortality, cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, dementia and ill-defined causes. We calculated proportions of selected causes of death among all deaths, and proportions of selected cardiovascular causes among cardiovascular deaths. CHD mortality rates were recalculated after recoding ill-defined causes of death. Association between CHD mortality rates and proportions of CHD deaths was estimated by population-weighted linear regression. National patterns of causes of death were divers. In 2000, CHD was assigned as cause of death in 13–53% of all cardiovascular deaths. Until 2013, this proportion changed between-65% (Czech Republic) and + 57% (Georgia). Dementia was increasingly assigned as underlying cause of death in Western Europe, but rarely in eastern European countries. Ill-defined causes accounted for between < 1% and 53% of all cardiovascular deaths. CHD mortality rates were closely linked to a countries’ proportion of cardiovascular deaths assigned to CHD (R² = 0.95 for 2000 and 0.99 for 2013). We show that CHD mortality is considerably influenced by national particularities in certifying death. Changes in CHD mortality rates reflect changes in certifying competing underlying causes of death. This must be accounted for when discussing reasons for the CHD mortality decline.

Background Mortality rates due to coronary heart disease (CHD) have decreased in most countries, but increased in low and middle-income countries. Few studies have analyzed the trends of coronary heart disease mortality in Latin America, specifically the trends in young-adults and the effect of correcting these comparisons for nonspecific causes of death (garbage codes). The objective of this study was to describe and compare standardized, age-specific, and garbage-code corrected mortality trends for coronary heart disease from 1985 to 2015 in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. Methods Deaths from coronary heart disease were grouped by country, year of registration, sex, and 10-year age bands to calculate age-adjusted and age and sex-specific rates for adults aged ≥25. We corrected for garbage-codes using the methodology proposed by the Global Burden of Disease. Finally, we fitted Joinpoint regression models. Results In 1985, age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population were 136.6 in Argentina, 160.6 in Colombia, and 87.51 in Mexico; by 2015 rates decreased 51% in Argentina and 6.5% in Colombia, yet increased by 61% in Mexico, where an upward trend in mortality was observed in young adults. Garbage-code corrections produced increases in mortality rates, particularly in Argentina with approximately 80 additional deaths per 100,000, 14 in Colombia and 13 in Mexico. Conclusions Latin American countries are at different stages of the cardiovascular disease epidemic. Garbage code correction produce large changes in the mortality rates in Argentina, yet smaller in Mexico and Colombia, suggesting garbage code corrections may be needed for specific countries. While coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality is falling in Argentina, modest falls in Colombia and substantial increases in Mexico highlight the need for the region to propose and implement population-wide prevention policies.

Several imaging techniques may reveal calcification of the arterial wall or cardiac valves. Many studies indicate that the risk for cardiovascular disease is increased when calcification is present. Recent meta-analyses on coronary calcification and cardiovascular risk may be confounded by indication. Therefore, this meta-analysis was performed with extensive subgroup analysis to assess the overall cardiovascular risk of finding calcification in any arterial wall or cardiac valve when using different imaging techniques. A meta-analysis of prospective studies reporting calcifications and cardiovascular end-points was performed. Thirty articles were selected. The overall odds ratios (95% confidence interval [CI]) for calcifications versus no calcifications in 218,080 subjects after a mean follow-up of 10.1 years amounted to 4.62 (CI 2.24 to 9.53) for all cause mortality, 3.94 (CI 2.39 to 6.50) for cardiovascular mortality, 3.74 (CI 2.56 to 5.45) for coronary events, 2.21 (CI 1.81 to 2.69) for stroke, and 3.41 (CI 2.71 to 4.30) for any cardiovascular event. Heterogeneity was largely explained by length of follow up and sort of imaging technique. Subgroup analysis of patients with end stage renal disease revealed a much higher odds ratio for any event of 6.22 (CI 2.73 to 14.14). The presence of calcification in any arterial wall is associated with a 3-4-fold higher risk for mortality and cardiovascular events. Interpretation of the pooled estimates has to be done with caution because of heterogeneity across studies.