Association between magnesium depletion score and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: Findings from NHANES 2005 to 2018.

Magnesium deficiency plays a role in the onset and progression of cardiovascular disorders (CVD), and early detection of magnesium deficiency in the body is crucial. Magnesium depletion score (MDS) is a more precise measurement to evaluate the magnesium status of the body. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the primary cause of death from CVD, and the correlation between MDS and the prevalence of ASCVD remains unclear.

TGF-β-Driven Atrial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation: From Mechanistic Insights to Targeted Therapies.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias, has significantly increased, especially within the aging population. Atrial fibrosis, a hallmark of the structural changes seen in AF, is characterized by abnormal activation and proliferation of atrial fibroblasts accompanied by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. The initiation and progression of fibrosis are regulated by multiple profibrotic cytokines, with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) serving as the primary mediator.

Xinyue capsule treatment on long-term outcomes in patients with stable coronary artery disease after PCI: A 10-year observational follow-up.

Background: Although the randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated that Xinyue capsule effectively reduced cardiovascular events within 1 year in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients post-PCI, the long-term benefits remain unclear. Therefore, the long-term effects of Xinyue capsule were investigated with a post-trial observational follow-up.

Methods: Between January 2014 and July 2016, 1054 patients were randomly assigned to an initial strategy of receiving either Xinyue capsule or placebo for 24 weeks together with the conventional treatment.

Vascular Protection of Neferine on Attenuating Angiotensin II-Induced Blood Pressure Elevation by Integrated Network Pharmacology Analysis and RNA-Sequencing Approach.

Objective: To explore the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of neferine in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular dysfunction.

Methods: Male mice were infused with Ang II to induce hypertension and randomly divided into treatment groups receiving neferine or a control vehicle based on baseline blood pressure using a random number table method. The hypertensive mouse model was constructed by infusing Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump (500 ng/kg per minute), and neferine (0.

Delivery of liquid metal particles and tanshinone IIA into the pericardial cavity for myocardial infarction treatment.

Owing to their inherent flexibility and excellent biocompatibility, liquid metals (LMs) have been explored at the frontiers of clinical therapy. Herein, a LM and tanshinone IIA (TA) drugs were dispersed into sodium alginate (SA) solution by ultrasonication to prepare SA/LM/TA, which is an injectable biomaterial for stable drug release and intrapericardial injection for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). The SA/LM/TA has a low viscosity and can be injected smoothly using a syringe.

Qingda Granule Attenuates Hypertension-Induced Cardiac Damage via Regulating Renin-Angiotensin System Pathway.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved.

Methods: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group.

Quercetin Protects Against Hypertensive Renal Injury by Attenuating Apoptosis: An Integrated Approach Using Network Pharmacology and RNA Sequencing.

Quercetin is known for its antihypertensive effects. However, its role on hypertensive renal injury has not been fully elucidated. In this study, hematoxylin and eosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and Annexin V staining were used to assess the pathological changes and cell apoptosis in the renal tissues of angiotensin II (Ang II)-infused mice and Ang II-stimulated renal tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E).

Effects of ginseng berry saponins from panax ginseng on glucose metabolism of patients with prediabetes: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Background: Prediabetes strongly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. However, lifestyle intervention, the first-line treatment for prediabetes currently, was inconsistently beneficial for glucose metabolism, and the conventional medicines, such as metformin, is controversial for prediabetes due to the possible side effects.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Zhenyuan Capsule, a Chinese patented medicine consisting of ginseng berry saponins extracted from the mature berry of Panax Ginseng, on the glucose metabolism of prediabetic patients as a complementary therapy.

Elucidating Iron Metabolism through Molecular Imaging.

Iron is essential for many physiological processes, and the dysregulation of its metabolism is implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Recent advances in iron metabolism research have revealed multiple complex pathways critical for maintaining iron homeostasis. Molecular imaging, an interdisciplinary imaging technique, has shown considerable promise in advancing research on iron metabolism.

Enhanced TfR1 Recognition of Myocardial Injury after Acute Myocardial Infarction with Cardiac Fibrosis via Pre-Degrading Excess Fibrotic Collagen.

The fibrosis process after myocardial infarction (MI) results in a decline in cardiac function due to fibrotic collagen deposition and contrast agents' metabolic disorders, posing a significant challenge to conventional imaging strategies in making heart damage clear in the fibrosis microenvironment. To address this issue, we developed an imaging strategy. Specifically, we pretreated myocardial fibrotic collagen with collagenase I combined with human serum albumin (HSA-C) and subsequently visualized the site of cardiac injury by near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging using an optical contrast agent (CI, CRT-indocyanine green) targeting transferrin receptor 1 peptides (CRT).

Quantitative visualization of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac lesions via ferroptosis magnetic particle imaging.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury is a complication in vascular reperfusion therapy for MI, occurring in approximately 60% of patients. Ferroptosis is an important process in the development of MI/R cardiac lesions. Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), a marker of ferroptosis, corresponds to the changes in MI/R cardiac lesions and is expected to be a biomarker for detecting MI/R-induced ferroptosis.

Efficacy and safety of Qingda granule versus valsartan capsule in Chinese grade 1 hypertensive patients with low-moderate risk: A randomized, double-blind, double dummy, non-inferiority, multi-center trial.

Background: The efficacy and safety of Qingda granule (QDG) in managing blood pressure (BP) among grade 1 hypertensive patients with low-moderate risk remain uncertain.

Methods: In the randomized, double-blind, double dummy, non-inferiority and multicenter trial, 552 patients with grade 1 hypertension at low-moderate risk were assigned at a ratio of 1:1 to receive either QDG or valsartan for 4 weeks, followed up by a subsequent 4 weeks.

Results: Post-treatment, clinic systolic/diastolic BPs (SBP/DBP) were reduced by a mean change of 9.

Effects and mechanism of Kedaling tablets for atherosclerosis treatment based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental study.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Kedaling tablets (KDL) are a Chinese patented medicine derived from Corydalis yanhusuo (Y.H. Chou & Chun C.

Identification of an immune-related 6-lncRNA panel with a good performance for prognostic prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant tumors with a poor prognosis. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been found to have great potential as a prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target for cancer patients. However, the prognostic value and tumor immune infiltration of lncRNAs in HCC has yet to be fully elucidated.

Essential oils for treating anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and network meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: The findings of clinical studies exploring essential oils (EOs) for anxiety remain disputed, and no studies have yet clarified the differences in the efficacy of EOs. The purpose of the study was to directly or indirectly compare the efficacy of different types of EOs on anxiety by pooling the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched from inception to November 2022.

Gastrodin attenuates renal injury and collagen deposition suppression of the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway based on network pharmacology analysis.

Gastrodin has been widely used clinically in China as an antihypertensive drug. However, its effect on hypertensive renal injury is yet to be elucidated. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of gastrodin on hypertensive renal injury and its underlying mechanisms by network pharmacology analysis and validation and .

Triglyceride-glucose index and estimated 10-year risk of a first hard cardiovascular event.

Background: Whether Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is associated with 10-year risk of a first hard atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event in the United States remains unclear.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the participants, ranged from 40 to 79 years old, were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018. TyG index was the independent variable and 10-year risk of a first hard ASCVD was the dependent variable.

Association of body mass index trajectory and hypertension risk: A systematic review of cohort studies and network meta-analysis of 89,094 participants.

Introduction: Body mass index (BMI) trajectories, such as non-linear time trends and nonlinear changes in BMI with age, can provide information on the underlying temporal health patterns. The relationship between BMI trajectories and the risk of hypertension remains controversial.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to January 31, 2022.

Effects of Qingda granule on patients with grade 1 hypertension at low-medium risk: study protocol for a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

Background: Numerous pre-clinical studies showed that Qingda granule (QDG) was effective in treating hypertension. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QDG in reducing blood pressure among patients with grade 1 hypertension at low-medium risk.

Methods: The study is designed as a randomized, multi-center, double-blinded, non-inferiority clinical trial.

Growth factor for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic heart disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This study was designed to systematically evaluate the effects of growth factor (GF) for therapeutic angiogenesis on ischemic heart disease (IHD) by pooling the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to October 2022. RCTs, investigating the effects of GF therapy on IHD, were included.