Obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent and thus has been a global public concern. Studies have demonstrated that obesity and its complications can cause an early onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), reduce the therapeutic efficacy of medical and invasive treatment, and thus increase the mortality. Meanwhile, it can also cause damage to the structure, electrophysiology, and myocardial function of heart. It can be a particularly important issue for women. On the other hand, heart injury can also affect the weight loss options and their outcomes. This article elucidates the relationship between obesity and its complications and CVD, and meanwhile proposes some new perspectives about the prevention of CVD.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Humans ; Obesity ; complications

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this paper is to review the cardiovascular (CVS) risks associated with obesity in children and adolescents. Both short-term and long-term CVS consequences, the mechanisms of how these develop and the measures that can alter or reverse these CVS events are reviewed.

MATERIALS AND METHODSSelected publications include original articles and review papers that report on studies of CVS risks and consequences related to childhood obesity. Some papers that contain data from adults studies are also included if the contents help to explain some underlying mechanisms or illustrate the continuation of related CVS changes into adulthood.

RESULTSObese children and adolescents have an increased risk for CVS complications that include elevation of blood pressure, clustering of CVS risk factors (Metabolic Syndrome), changes to arterial wall thickness, elasticity and endothelium, as well as changes in left ventricular structure and function. Some of these cardiovascular problems may be initiated or potentiated by obstructive sleep apnoea that can accompany obesity in children. Many of such changes have been noted to reverse or improve with weight reduction.

CONCLUSIONSEarly development of CVS risks in obese children and the possible continuation of CVS complications into adulthood have been observed. Obstructive sleep apnoea in obese children can further contribute to such CVS risks. These findings underscore the importance of prevention of childhood obesity as a priority over management of obesity in children.

Adolescent ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Child ; Humans ; Obesity ; complications ; Risk Factors

Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Risk Factors

INTRODUCTIONTo review the definitions of the metabolic syndrome according to various expert groups and assess their relevance to clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODSMedline searches were conducted to identify studies which addressed: (i) the utility of the metabolic syndrome compared to multivariable predictive functions for the identification of individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), (ii) the importance and definition of obesity in the definition of the metabolic syndrome and (iii) the impact of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in those with and without the metabolic syndrome.

RESULTSAlthough inferior to multivariable risk scores in predicting T2DM and CVD, the metabolic syndrome represents a simple clinical tool, particularly for the prediction of T2DM. Obesity is not a critical component of the metabolic syndrome for identifying those at increased risk of CVD but may be important for predicting T2DM. If anything, pharmacological therapy, especially lipid lowering is as, if not more, effective in those with the metabolic syndrome than in those without.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough the metabolic syndrome appears to have limited utility for the identification of individuals at increased risk of T2DM or CVD, the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome presents an opportunity to rationalise health services to deliver coordinated care to those with metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; etiology ; Humans ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; Obesity ; complications

Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; etiology ; Kidney Diseases ; complications ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate whether glycation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increases cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by altering its anti-atherogenic property.

DATA SOURCESData cited in this review were obtained mainly from Pubmed and Medline in English from 2000 to 2013, with keywords "glycation", "HDL", and "atherosclerosis". Study selection Articles regarding glycation of HDL and its role in atherogenesis in both humans and experimental animal models were identified, retrieved and reviewed.

RESULTSGlycation alters the structure of HDL and its associated enzymes, resulting in an impairment of atheroprotective functionality and increased risks for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients.

CONCLUSIONGlycation of HDL exerts a deleterious effect on the development of cardiovascular complications in diabetes.

Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; metabolism ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, HDL

Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Complications ; complications ; epidemiology ; Diabetic Foot ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the occupational stress and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

METHODSThe subject was 93 male freight train dispatchers, the occupational stressors, personalities, and occupational strain response were measured by using questionnaires. Blood pressure, heart rate, the concentrations of the cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycosylated hemoglobin in blood serum were also measured.

RESULTSSocial support score were significantly positively related to systolic pressure (r = 0.22) and diastolic pressure (r = 0.30) (P < 0.05), while job satisfaction negatively related to them and concentration of triglyceride (r = -0.37, -0.47 and -0.28 respectively, P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and self-esteem negatively to systolic pressure (r = -0.21, P < 0.05). The differences in diastolic pressure [(78.5 +/- 13.1), (83.6 +/- 8.2), (88.1 +/- 12.3), (85.8 +/- 9.8) mm Hg, P < 0.05] among groups of social support score, body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.01) among groups of job difficulty the differences in systolic pressure [(124.9 +/- 14.4), (129.7 +/- 13.1), (118.4 +/- 16.4), (133.5 +/- 23.1) mm Hg] and diastolic pressure [(85.5 +/- 11.3), (87.0 +/- 9.8), (80.1 +/- 10.1), (88.9 +/- 12.0) mm Hg] and cholesterol level in serum [(4.96 +/- 1.18), (5.39 +/- 0.85), (5.00 +/- 1.15), (4.34 +/- 0.91) mmol/L] among groups of vulnerability to stress (P < 0.05), as well as the difference in systolic pressure and glycosylated hemoglobin level in serum among groups of competition score (P < 0.05) were all statistically significant. Stepwise regression analysis showed that job time demands and negative coping affected the change of cholesterol (R(2) > 0.05); the job relation decision latitude, social support, job difficulty, personality (self-esteem and anxiety trait) and negative coping were the predictors of smoking (R(2) > 0.05). Heart rate was related to home income and competition factor of Type A Behavior (R(2) = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONThe psychosocial stress aspects of work may be related to some cardiovascular risk factors.

Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; complications ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological ; complications

Cardiovascular diseases account for approximately 80% of deaths among individuals with diabetes mellitus, with diabetic cardiomyopathy as the major diabetic cardiovascular complication. Hyperglycemia is a symptom that abnormally activates multiple downstream pathways and contributes to cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, apoptosis, and other pathophysiological changes. Although glycemic control has long been at the center of diabetes therapy, multicenter randomized clinical studies have revealed that intensive glycemic control fails to reduce heart failure-associated hospitalization and mortality in patients with diabetes. This finding indicates that hyperglycemic stress persists in the cardiovascular system of patients with diabetes even if blood glucose level is tightly controlled to the normal level. This process is now referred to as hyperglycemic memory (HGM) phenomenon. We briefly reviewed herein the current advances that have been achieved in research on the underlying mechanisms of HGM in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/etiology* ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia/metabolism* ; Multicenter Studies as Topic

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male condition, which is closely related with cardiovascular diseases. With the increasing incidence of cardiovascular events, arteriogenic ED (AED) is becoming more prevalent in recent years. Despite the variety of therapies for ED, no effective treatment has been found for this arteriogenic type. Based on the experience in the successful treatment of cardiovascular diseases by endovascular therapy, some scholars are carrying out clinical researches on this therapy for AED, which has shed some new light on its management. This review outlines recent advances in the studies of endovascular therapy for AED.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; complications ; therapy ; Endovascular Procedures ; Humans ; Impotence, Vasculogenic ; etiology ; therapy ; Male