Allostatic load modelling, lifestyle and cardiological risk factor: evidence for integrating patient profiling in the optimisation of pharmacological therapies during follow-ups in hospital setting – PLAY-UP cohort study protocol

Introduction
The allostatic load (AL) is a framework for conceptualising the physiological multisystemic impact of prolonged exposure to stress and its related side effects on mental health.
Stress due to AL can influence the development and outcomes of cardiovascular diseases. AL increases the risk of coronary and peripherical artery diseases. AL emerges from the detection of emotional dimensions related to the disease, low psychosocial functioning and high rates of psychopathological signs in patients with hypertension or coronary heart disease.

Method and analysis
The primary endpoint of the PLAY-UP protocol is the implementation of a multidimensional model underlying the clinical treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease through the integration of medical and psychological clinical variables.
PLAY-UP is a cohort study that will last for 24 months. 200 participants will be recruited and divided into three groups: early disease, midterm disease and long disease. All patients will undergo a clinical evaluation based on the detection of biological, medical and psychological indicators and variables. The evaluation battery will comprise three types of measurements: medical, psychological and pharmacological treatments. Clinical and psychological measurements will be processed in an integrated manner through the combination of all variables examined, elaborating the Allostatic Load Index from a longitudinal time perspective. The Allostatic Load Index will be calculated by measuring the z-score.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical Committee Approval was obtained from CEtRA Abruzzo Region (IT) (ID 0461499/23). The results of the present project will be published in peer-reviewed journals, disseminated electronically and in print, and presented as abstracts and/or personal communications during national and international conferences.

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Novembre 2024

Knowledge of stroke risk factors and prevention among hypertensive patients on follow-up at Addis Ababa University Tertiary Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Objective
This study was conducted to assess knowledge of stroke risk factors and prevention among hypertensive patients on follow-up at Addis Ababa University Tertiary Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Design
Cross-sectional study design.

Setting
This study was conducted at Addis Ababa University Tertiary Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Participants
The sample size was determined using the single population proportion calculation. A list of all patients with hypertension on follow-up was framed from the appointment book of the cardiovascular clinic. Then, 316 participants were recruited by simple random sampling procedure from 18 April 2022 to 19 May 2022. The study included all patients with hypertension >18 years of age who were on follow-up during the data-collecting period. In contrast, patients with memory loss or cognitive impairment and who are unable to communicate were excluded from the study.

Result
With a response rate of 96.8%, 306 respondents in total were questioned. The average age of the participants was 53.6 years (SD±13.4). More than half of participants (52.9%) were female. The average score for understanding stroke risk factors and prevention is 44.1% and 49.7%, respectively. Knowledge of stroke risk factors was substantially correlated with residency and educational level, while knowledge of stroke prevention was significantly associated with sex, income and educational level.

Conclusion
This study indicates that patients with hypertension who participated in the study had poor knowledge of stroke risk factors and prevention. The mean score of knowledge on risk factors and prevention strategies of stroke is 44.1% and 49.7%, respectively, and needs improvement.

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Novembre 2024

ICU follow-up services and their impact on post-intensive care syndrome: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) seriously affects the quality of life of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, their ability to return to work and society and the quality of life of their families, increasing overall care costs and healthcare expenditures. ICU follow-up services have important potential to improve PICS. However, the best clinical practice model of ICU follow-up service has not been fully defined and its benefits for ICU survivors are not clear. This review will synthesise and map the current types of follow-up services for ICU survivors and summarise the impact of follow-up services on PICS.

Methods and analysis
This scoping review will be conducted by applying the five-stage protocol proposed by Arksey and O’Malley in an updated version of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Eight academic databases including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO Academic, CINAHL, PsycInfo and SinoMed (China Biology Medicine) will be systematically searched from inception to the present. Peer-reviewed literature and grey literature will be included. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies will be included. Studies published in English or Chinese will be included. There will be no time restriction. Two reviewers will screen and select the articles independently and if there is any disagreement, the two reviewers will discuss or invite a third reviewer to make decisions together. Descriptive analysis will be used to conduct an overview of the literature. The results will be presented in a descriptive format in response to the review questions accompanied by the necessary tables or charts.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review because data could be obtained by reviewing published primary study results and do not involve human participants. Findings should be disseminated at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4140140: Cardiology Follow-Up as a Determinant of LDL-C Management Success in Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4140140-A4140140, November 12, 2024. Managing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is crucial for secondary cardiovascular prevention. Despite ACC/AHA recommendations for maintaining LDL below 70 mg/dL, achieving this target remains suboptimal. This study investigates the impact of consistent cardiologist involvement on LDL cholesterol management.Methods:We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional cohort study within the Steward Healthcare System in Massachusetts, analyzing data from 10,211 patients hospitalized from January 2019 to March 2024. This study offers a detailed snapshot of data across the study period, capturing both recent and long-standing cases identified through ICD codes for conditions like NSTEMI, CAD, STEMI, or CABG, specifically as markers for secondary cardiovascular prevention. We utilized the most recent LDL cholesterol measurements for our analysis and compared the distribution of lipid-lowering medications across groups. Notably, follow-ups with cardiologists outside our network were not tracked, potentially omitting relevant data. Statistical analysis employed the Chi-square test for categorical variables and binary logistic regression to adjust for confounders.Results:showed that patients with regular cardiology visits more often achieved LDL levels below 70 mg/dL (57.45% vs. 46.67%; OR 1.54, 95% CI: 1.42-1.68; P

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4140142: Neighborhood Perceptions Associate with Lipid Biomarkers in African-American Women with Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome: Data from the Step It Up Digital Health-Enabled, Community-Engaged Physical Activity Intervention

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4140142-A4140142, November 12, 2024. Background:Cardiovascular-kidney metabolic (CKM) syndrome is exacerbated among individuals experiencing chronic exposure to both environmental and psychosocial stressors. Both neighborhood and individual-level stressors increase chronic inflammation resulting in worsened CKM factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dys/hyperlipidemia. However, associations between neighborhood perceptions (NP) and lipid profiles remain understudied. Therefore, we examined associations between NP domains and lipid profiles among African-American (AA) women with ≥Stage 1 CKM syndrome (overweight/obesity) residing in resource-limited neighborhoods within the Washington, DC area.Methods:Participants were enrolled in Step It Up, a technology-enabled, community-engaged physical activity (PA) intervention. Fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline to measure lipoproteins using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Factor analysis of overall NP identified four perception sub-scores: disorder, social cohesion, violence, and safety (higher score=favorable perception). Associations between NP domains and lipoprotein particles were analyzed using multivariable regression adjusting for BMI, ASCVD 10-year risk score, and lipid-lowering therapy.Results:Participants (n=169) had mean age=57.16 ± 12.00 and BMI 35.99 ± 6.57. Perceptions of safety were positively associated with LDL concentrations (LDLc) and large LDL particles (L-LDLp) (β=4.70 [SD=2.41], p=0.05, β= 43.75 [17.70], p= 0.01), respectively). Perceptions about neighborhood violence were positively associated with L-LDLp (marginally) and very-low-density lipoprotein size (VLDLz) (β= 7.10 [3.96], p=0.08, β= 0.31 [0.14], p= 0.02, respectively). No associations were found between disorder and social cohesion with lipid biomarkers.Conclusions:After adjusting for BMI, ASCVD risk, and lipid-lowering therapy, there were significant associations between neighborhood perceptions of safety and violence with lipid profiles among AA women with CKM syndrome. Greater perceived safety was associated with higher LDLc and L-LDLp while more favorable perception about neighborhood violence was associated with higher L-LDLp. Future work should examine whether improving neighborhood resources and perceptions may improve CKM health among urban AA women.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4147647: Effects on Cognition, Sleep, Quality of life and Exercise Capacity of a 12-week Tele-yoga Intervention in Persons with Heart Failure – Results from 3 and 6 Months Follow-up

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4147647-A4147647, November 12, 2024. Background and Objectives:Yoga may be a promising form of mind-body rehabilitation for patients with long term illness. Digitally delivered yoga increases access to participation but has not previously been evaluated in the heart failure population. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of tele-yoga on cognition, sleep, health-related quality of life and exercise capacity in persons with heart failure.Methods:The Tele-yoga study (ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT 03703609) was a parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 distribution to an intervention and control group. Study participants were randomised to tele-yoga including live-streamed group-yoga for 60 minutes twice weekly during 12 weeks and yoga individually for 10 minutes/day using an app, or to a control group receiving individual exercise advice. Cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment: MoCA), sleep (minimal insomnia symptom scale; MISS), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D VAS) and sub-maximal exercise capacity (6 minute walk test; 6MWT) were assessed at baseline, after 3 and 6 months. Linear mixed model with random intercept for patients as the random effect and group-time interaction along with age was taken as the fixed effects to analyse outcomes.Results:A total of 311 participants were included (tele-yoga n=156 and active controls n=155), mean age 66 years, 70% men. Adherence to the group yoga was very good. The linear mixed models showed a significant change in cognition, health-related quality of life and exercise capacity favouring the tele-yoga group. No significant differences between the groups were seen regarding sleep. When analysing the fixed effects of all outcomes, age, group assignment and time-points interaction had significant effects on EQ-5D VAS score, 6MWT distance and MoCA scores. For EQ-5D VAS the tele-yoga group performed significantly better than the control group at 3 months, but not at 6 months. For the 6MWT distance, the tele-yoga group performed better than the control group at 3 months, but not at 6 months. The tele-yoga group had significantly higher MoCA scores than the control group at both 3 and 6 months.Conclusion:This adequately powered RCT showed that digitally delivered mind-body training in the format of group and individual yoga during 12 weeks lead to an improvement in cognition, quality of life and exercise capacity at the end of the intervention. The effect was sustained for cognition also after 6 months.

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Novembre 2024