Objective Various factors may affect the effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy or cardiac resynchronization and implantable cardioverter-defibrilator ( CRT/CRTD) in chronic heart failure patients ( CHF) .The aim of our study was to explore the correlation of age and gender with the effects of CRT/CRTD in chronic heart failure patients. Methods This study included 136 CHF patients, 92 males and 44 females, treated by CRT/CRTD from January 2005 to March 2015.We divided the patients into three age groups:≥70 yr (n=29), 50-70 yr (n=77), and <50 yr (n=30), and compared the baseline characteristics, CRT respon-ding rate and all-cause mortality among different groups.The CRT response was defined as the decrease of NYHA cardiac function≥1 grade and left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF) improvement ≥5%. Results In the 136 CHF patients, there were 72 CRT responders (53%), 52%in the≥70 yr group, 55%in the 50-70 yr group, and 50%in the <50 yr group, with no statistically sig-nificant differences among the three groups (P>0.05).However, the CRT responding rate was remarkably higher in the female than in the male patients (66%vs 47%, P=0.027).Cox multivariate and Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed no significant differences in all-cause mortality between different genders or age groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the left ventricular diastolic diameter and base QRS duration were independent factors of the CRT response. Conclusion Age does not affect the CRT response in chronic heart failure patients, while female patients have a higher CRT respon-ding rate than male patients.

Objective To study the value of Lp (a) in risk assessment of patients with NSTE-ACS.Methods Eighty NSTE-ACS patients were divided into elderly NSTE-ACS group (n=58) and non elderly NSTE-ACS group (n=22) with 22 elderly patients with their coronary artery stenosis ＜ 50％ served as a control group.The relationship of serum Lp (a) level with Gensini score and GRACE risk score was analyzed.Results The incidence of hypertension and DM was significantly higher,the smoking history was significantly longer,the serum LDL-C and FBG level,Gensini score and GRACE risk score were significantly higher in elderly NSTE-ACS group than in control group (P＜0.05).The age was significantly older and the GRACE risk score was significantly higher in elderly NSTE-ACS group than in non elderly NSTE-ACS group (P＜0.05).The Gensini score and GRACE risk score were positively related wtih the serum Lp (a) level (r=0.494,P＜ 0.01;r=0.432,P＜0.01).Serum Lp (a) level was an independent risk factor for NSTE-ACS (P＜0.01).Conclusion Serum Lp (a) level is closely related with the severity and outcome of NSTE-ACS,indicating that serum Lp (a) level can be used as a predictor of risk assessment in NSTE-ACS patients.

Aim To investigate the shared transcriptional characteristics of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and atherosclerosis(As)using bioinformatics techniques.The goal is to identify potential mechanisms and key targets of As that are linked to NAFLD through gene crosstalk analysis of both diseases.Additionally,the study will validate the expression levels of these key targets in animal tissues and human serum samples.Methods The gene ex-pression profiles of NAFLD(dataset GSE89632)and As(dataset GSE43292)were obtained from GEO database.Differ-ential gene analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis were conducted to identify common genes between the two diseases.These shared genes were further analyzed using the String database for protein interaction analysis and R software.Core genes were identified through calculations in Cytoscape software,validation with external datasets(GSE100927),and machine learning techniques(LASSO regression).Finally,key core genes were determined by crea-ting nonalcoholic fatty liver and As mouse models on a high-fat diet and collecting peripheral serum samples from patients with NAFLD and coronary heart disease(CHD).Results Seventy-five shared genes were identified between the two diseases,with major enrichment pathways including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction,IL-17 signaling pathway,lipid and atherosclerosis,and NF-κB signaling pathway.Through integration of multiple bioinformatics methods,two core genes(MMP-9 and CCL3)were identified.Subsequent animal experiments demonstrated a significant increase in MMP-9 and CCL3 levels in the liver and aortic sinus of mice fed with high-fat diet,MMP-9 and CCL3 levels in the liver tissue of high-fat diet-fed mice were 2.43 times(P＜0.001)and 1.35 times(P＜0.01)higher than the control group,in the aortic sinus tissue,MMP-9 and CCL3 levels were 2.10 times(P＜0.001)and 1.58 times(P＜0.01)higher.Human serum sample verification further supported these findings,showing MMP-9 and CCL3 levels in patients with both NAFLD and CHD to be 1.21 times(P＜0.01)and 1.29 times(P＜0.01)higher than in patients with CHD alone.Conclusion This study identified MMP-9 and CCL3 may play key roles in NAFLD-related As,providing potential targets for the study of NAFLD-related As.