BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease (VHD) has become increasingly common with the aging in China. This study aimed to evaluate regional differences in the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with VHD across different regions in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the China-VHD Study. From April 2018 to June 2018, 12,347 patients who presented with moderate or severe native VHD with a median of 2 years of follow-up from 46 centers at certified tertiary hospitals across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in Chinese mainland were included in this study. According to the locations of the research centers, patients were divided into five regional groups: eastern, southern, western, northern, and central China. The clinical features of VHD patients were compared among the five geographical regions. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence rate. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients (mean age, 61.96 years; 6877 [55.70%] male), multiple VHD was the most frequent type (4042, 32.74%), which was mainly found in eastern China, followed by isolated mitral regurgitation (3044, 24.65%), which was mainly found in northern China. The etiology of VHD varied significantly across different regions of China. The overall rate of valve interventions was 32.67% (4008/12,268), with the highest rate in southern China at 48.46% (205/423). In terms of procedure, the proportion of transcatheter valve intervention was relatively low compared to that of surgical treatment. Patients with VHD in western China had the highest incidence of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Valve intervention significantly improved the outcome of patients with VHD in all five regions (all P  <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with VHD in China are characterized by significant geographic disparities in clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Targeted efforts are needed to improve the management and prognosis of patients with VHD in China according to differences in geographical characteristics. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03484806.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Diseases/therapy* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Outcome

Hypertension is the most common chronic non-communicable disease and the primary risk factor for cardiovascular events.The traditional management methods for hypertension are often purely internal medicine and basically unrelated to percutaneous interventional techniques.In recent decades,with the development of imaging technology and interventional devices,the application of transcatheter interventional techniques in hypertension has become widespread.This article reviews the current status and prospect of transcatheter interventional techniques in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

Background::A phase II trial on recombinant human tenecteplase tissue-type plasminogen activator (rhTNK-tPA) has previously shown its preliminary efficacy in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. This study was designed as a pivotal postmarketing trial to compare its efficacy and safety with rrecombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator alteplase (rt-PA) in Chinese patients with STEMI.Methods::In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial, patients with acute STEMI were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive an intravenous bolus of 16 mg rhTNK-tPA or an intravenous bolus of 8 mg rt-PA followed by an infusion of 42 mg in 90 min. The primary endpoint was recanalization defined by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 2 or 3. The secondary endpoint was clinically justified recanalization. Other endpoints included 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) and safety endpoints.Results::From July 2016 to September 2019, 767 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive rhTNK-tPA ( n = 384) or rt-PA ( n = 383). Among them, 369 patients had coronary angiography data on TIMI flow, and 711 patients had data on clinically justified recanalization. Both used a –15% difference as the non-inferiority efficacy margin. In comparison to rt-PA, both the proportion of patients with TIMI grade 2 or 3 flow (78.3% [148/189] vs. 81.7% [147/180]; differences: –3.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –11.5%, 4.8%) and clinically justified recanalization (85.4% [305/357] vs. 85.9% [304/354]; difference: –0.5%; 95% CI: –5.6%, 4.7%) in the rhTNK-tPA group were non-inferior. The occurrence of 30-day MACCEs (10.2% [39/384] vs. 11.0% [42/383]; hazard ratio: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.50) did not differ significantly between groups. No safety outcomes significantly differed between groups. Conclusion::rhTNK-tPA was non-inferior to rt-PA in the effect of improving recanalization of the infarct-related artery, a validated surrogate of clinical outcomes, among Chinese patients with acute STEMI.Trial registration::www.ClinicalTrials.gov (No. NCT02835534).

Background::Risk assessment and treatment stratification for three-vessel coronary disease (TVD) remain challenging. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of left atrial volume index (LAVI) with the Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score II, and its association with the long-term prognosis after three strategies (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI], coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], and medical therapy [MT]) in patients with TVD.Methods::This study was a post hoc analysis of a large, prospective cohort of patients with TVD in China, that aimed to determine the long-term outcomes after PCI, CABG, or optimal MT alone. A total of 8943 patients with TVD were consecutively enrolled between 2004 and 2011 at Fuwai Hospital. A total of 7818 patients with available baseline LAVI data were included in the study. Baseline, procedural, and follow-up data were collected. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. Secondary endpoints included all-cause death, cardiac death, MI, revascularization, and stroke. Long-term outcomes were evaluated among LAVI quartile groups. Results::During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, a higher LAVI was strongly associated with increased risk of MACCE (Q3: hazard ratio [HR] 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.37, P = 0.005; Q4: HR 1.85, 95%CI 1.64-2.09, P <0.001), all-cause death (Q3: HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17-1.69, P <0.001; Q4: HR 2.54, 95%CI 2.16-3.00, P <0.001), and cardiac death (Q3: HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.39-2.37, P <0.001; Q4: HR 3.47, 95%CI 2.71-4.43, P <0.001). Moreover, LAVI significantly improved discrimination and reclassification of the SYNTAX score II. Notably, there was a significant interaction between LAVI quartiles and treatment strategies for MACCE. CABG was associated with lower risk of MACCE than MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. Among patients in the fourth quartile, PCI was associated with significantly increased risk of cardiac death compared with CABG (HR: 5.25, 95% CI: 1.97-14.03, P = 0.001). Conclusions::LAVI is a potential index for risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making in patients with three-vessel coronary disease. CABG is associated with improved long-term outcomes compared with MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. When LAVI is severely elevated, PCI is associated with higher risk of cardiac death than CABG.

Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Body Mass Index ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Inflammation ; Treatment Outcome ; Risk Factors

Objective: To estimate the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension among young and middle-aged population in China. Methods: The analysis was based on the results of 2012-2015 China Hypertension Survey, which was a cross-sectional stratified multistage random sampling survey. A total of 229 593 subjects were included in the final analysis. The data including sex, age, living in urban and rural areas, prevalence of hypertension, history of stroke, family history of coronary heart disease and drinking, physical examination, heart rate were collected. Hypertension was defined as mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and (or) diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg, and (or) self-report a history of hypertension, and (or) use of antihypertensive medicine within 2 weeks before survey. Prehypertension was defined as SBP between 120-139 mmHg, and (or) DBP between 80-89 mmHg. Control of hypertension was considered for hypertensive individuals with SBP<140 mmHg and DBP<90 mmHg. The prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension, awareness, treatment, control rate were calculated, and the control rate among those with antihypertensive medication was also calculated. Results: The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was 43.8% (95%CI: 42.3%-45.4%), and 22.1% (95%CI: 20.8%-23.3%), respectively. The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was significantly higher among male than female across different age groups. The awareness, treatment, control rate of hypertension and control rate among treated hypertensive participants were 43.8%, 33.2%, 16.7%, and 40.2%, respectively. The prevalence was higher, and the control rate was lower among individuals with higher heart rate. Conclusion: The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among young and middle-aged population is high, the awareness, treatment and control rate need to be further improved in this population. The prevention and treatment of hypertension should be strengthened in the future to improve the control rate of hypertension in China.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Prehypertension/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hypertension/drug therapy* ; Blood Pressure ; China/epidemiology*

Objective:To compare the influence of single and staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on long-term prognosis in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease.Methods:Using prospective research methods, 1 832 patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease from January to December 2013 in Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were selected. According to the time of PCI, the patients were divided into single PCI group (1 218 cases) and staged PCI group (614 cases). The patients were followed up for 2 years, the primary endpoint was major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), including target vessel-related myocardial infarction (TV-MI), target vessel-related revascularization (TVR), cardiogenic death and stroke, and the secondary endpoint was stent thrombosis. The propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance the discrepancies between 2 groups, and the baseline and follow-up data were compared. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn to evaluate the survival rates events; multifactor Cox proportional risk regression was used to analyze whether staged PCI was an independent risk factor for the endpoint events.Results:The in-hospital stay, duration of procedure and synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with taxus and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) score in single PCI group were significantly lower than those in staged PCI group: (5.54±3.09) d vs. (9.50±4.06) d, (43.12±28.55) min vs. (79.54±44.35) min, (14.04±7.63) scores vs. (18.51±7.79) scores, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01); there were no statistical difference in complete revascularization rate and SYNTAX score after PCI between 2 groups ( P>0.05). Based on 2-year follow-up, the incidences of TV-MI and stent thrombosis in staged PCI group were significantly higher than those in single PCI group: 2.1% (13/614) vs. 0.5% (6/1 218) and 2.0% (12/614) vs. 0.4% (5/1 218), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival curves analysis results showed that the event-free survival rates of TV-MI and stent thrombosis in single PCI group were better than those in staged PCI group (99.5% vs. 97.9% and 99.6% vs. 98.0%, P<0.01). Multifactor Cox proportional risk regression analysis results showed that staged PCI was an independent risk factor for stent thrombosis ( HR = 3.91, 95% CI 1.25 to 12.18, P = 0.019). After PSM, the incidences of TV-MI and stent thrombosis in staged PCI group were significantly higher than those in single PCI group: 2.1% (13/614) vs. 0.7% (4/614) and 2.0% (12/614) vs. 0.5% (3/614), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis results showed that the event-free survival rates of TV-MI and stent thrombosis in single PCI group were significantly higher than those in staged PCI group: (99.3% vs. 97.9% and 99.5% vs. 98.0%, P<0.05); multifactor Cox proportional risk regression analysis results showed that staged PCI was not an independent risk factor of stent thrombosis ( HR = 2.29, 95% CI 0.58 to 9.00, P = 0.234). Both before and after PSM, there were no evidences for interaction between the type of angina pectoris and staged PCI ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Although a seemingly increase exists in the incidence of TV-MI and stent thrombosis in the staged PCI group, staged PCI is an independent risk factor neither for MACCE and its components, nor for stent thrombosis. In addition single PCI reduces the in-hospital days and duration of PCI procedure, which may be a relatively reasonable approach to clinical practice.

Objective: To analyze the association between plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and the severity of coronary artery disease, and to evaluate the impact of HDL-C levels on long-term outcomes in patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 10 458 consecutive patients underwent PCI from January 2013 to December 2013 at Fuwai hospital were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to HDL-C tertiles: low HDL-C group (HDL-C≤0.89 mmol/L, n=3 525), median HDL-C group (HDL-C>0.89-1.11 mmol/L, n=3 570) and high HDL-C group (HDL-C>1.11 mmol/L, n=3 363). SYNTAX score was used to evaluate the severity of coronary artery disease, linear regression was used to analyze the relationship of HDL-C and SYNTAX score. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the outcomes among the three groups. Multivariate Cox regression was used to define the potential associations of HDL-C and outcomes. Results: The HDL-C level was (1.03±0.28) mmol/L and the SYNTAX score was 11.7±8.1. Patients were older, proportion of female, stable angina pectoris, successful PCI and left ventricular eject fraction value were higher, while incidence of diabetes mellitus was lower, hyperlipidemia, old myocardial infraction, smoking history and left main and three vessels disease were lower in high HDL-C group (all P<0.05). Patients in high HDL-C group also had the lowest SYNTAX score (12.2±8.4 vs. 11.7±8.1 vs. 11.2±7.8, P<0.001). Both univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis showed that HDL-C was negatively associated with SYNTAX score, e.g. Univariate analysis: β=-0.046, P<0.001; Multivariate analysis: β=-0.058, P=0.001. And 10 400 (99.4%) patients completed 2-year follow up. At 2-year follow-up, there were no difference in all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) and stent thrombosis among three groups (P for trend>0.05), while patient in high HDL-C group experienced the highest BARC type 2 bleeding events (P for trend=0.018). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that HDL-C level was not an independent risk factor of 2-year adverse ischemia events (P>0.05) and 2-year bleeding events (P>0.05). Conclusion In patients underwent PCI, plasma HDL-C level is negatively associated with SYNTAX score, but not an independent risk factor of ischemic and bleeding events post PCI.

Objective: To observe the use of clopidogrel and related factors for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in terms of early use, loading dose, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and maintenance dose hospitalized in non-PCI country hospitals in China. Methods: Patients hospitalized for ACS from 101 non-PCI country hospitals across China were recruited prospectively from October 2011 to November 2014. In-hospital clopidogrel use rate, the proportions of early use (within 24 hours), loading dose use (≥300 mg), DAPT (early use combined with aspirin) and maintenance dose use (following dose≥75 mg/d) were analyzed. Generalized estimated equation (GEE) model was used to explore factors associated to in-hospital clopidogrel use and loading dose use in both univariate and multivariate analyses, adjusting for cluster effect. Results: A total of 14 809 ACS patients were included, with an average age of (64.1±11.6) years and 60% (8 888/14 809) were male. The in-hospital clopidogrel use rate was 66.4% (9 828/14 809), which varied across different regions, years and sub-types of ACS (all P<0.05). Among users, the proportions of patients with early use, DAPT and maintenance dose use were 91.3% (8 734/9 562), 89.2% (8 526/9 562) and 95.1% (9 094/9 562), respectively, but the proportion of patients received loading dose was only 41.8% (3 995/9 562). Multivariate analyses showed that patients who admitted to hospital in earlier years and with non-ST elevation ACS, ≥75 years old, female, non-smoking, illiterate, heart rate≥100 beats per minute, atrial fibrillation, not on ECG monitoring, and not using other anti-ACS drugs were less likely to receive clopidogrel (all P<0.05). And those clopidogrel users who with non-ST elevation ACS, ≥75 years old, non-smoking, illiterate, not using other anti-ACS drugs were less likely to receive loading dose (all P<0.05). Conclusion The use rate of clopidogrel and the loading dose among in-hospital ACS patients are both low and remain to be improved in non-PCI county hospitals in China. Special attention should be paid on non-ST elevation ACS, ≥75 years old, female, and illiterate patients to increase the rational use of clopidogrel and the loading dose.