Morphological and functional properties of vascular stiffness (intima-media thickness, instantaneous diameter, pulse wave velocity, blood pressure) could be monitored solely using ultrasound. Yet, few ultrasound studies estimate both pulse wave velocity and blood pressure. This study presents an in vitro evaluation of a dual-site ultrasound system for the simultaneous estimation of pulse wave velocity and blood pressure from radio-frequency ultrasound data. The circulatory mock-loop incorporating an arm phantom was used as a controlled test environment. Reference pressure and pulse wave velocity values were obtained via a commercial pressure sensor and the PulsePen device (DiaTecne s.r.l., Milano, Italy), respectively. The custom dual-site ultrasound system (6 cm distance between probes) was evaluated across pressures ranging from hypotension to hypertensive crisis. To assess the most accurate estimation strategy, pulse wave velocity was estimated using multiple signal processing approaches, including derivative-based, pulse-feature, cross-correlation, and tangent intersection methods, while blood pressure was derived from linear, exponential, and logarithmic models relating diameter waveforms to pressure. The in vitro mock-loop was improved using a viscous glycerol solution as a blood-mimicking fluid instead of deionized water. The tangent intersection method yielded pulse wave velocity values most consistent with the tonometric reference (0.3 m/s mean error). For blood pressure estimation, the linear equation achieved the best performance, with − 1.8 ± 1.1 mmHg systolic blood pressure mean difference to the reference. Using 40 wt
Arterial stiffness is a critical precursor to clinical cardiovascular disease. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of melatonin and its receptor agonists on markers of arterial stiffness and hemodynamic parameters in adults. A comprehensive search was performed across PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception to January 31, 2026. Clinical trials investigating melatonin or its analogues in adult populations were considered eligible regardless of study design. Although both randomized and non-randomized trials were sought, all eligible studies identified through the systematic search were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was pulse wave velocity (PWV). Secondary outcomes included the augmentation index (AIx) and blood pressure parameters. STATA (version 18.0) was utilized to conduct the meta-analysis via a random effects model. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2), and the certainty of evidence was assessed via the GRADE framework. Five RCTs (319 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. Melatonin supplementation was associated with a borderline reduction in the PWV (SMD = -0.22; 95
Whether first-24-hour hemodynamic summaries improve mortality prediction beyond established severity measures in critically ill patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is uncertain. We evaluated temporal model performance and adjusted hemodynamic associations with 28-day mortality. This secondary analysis included first intensive care unit stays of adults with ICD-coded PAD who reached a 24-hour landmark. Models developed in 2008–2016 were evaluated without refitting in 2017–2022. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), clinical comparators, and hemodynamic and severity-score ablations used 2000-bootstrap confidence intervals. Landmark Cox models used 20 multiply imputed datasets. Among 2459 patients, 435 (17.7
Chronic kidney disease often requires hemodialysis, which increases cardiovascular risk, partly because of arterial stiffness. This can be influenced by dialysate calcium concentrations, which affect mineral balance and vascular health. However, there is controversy regarding the optimal dialysate calcium concentration for these patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare different dialysate calcium concentrations and evaluate their relative association with arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), using a network meta-analysis. A systematic search was performed in the Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus and PubMed from database inception to May 25, 2025, which was the final search date. A network meta-analysis was conducted from a frequentist perspective to compare the association between different dialysate calcium concentrations with PWV-based arterial stiffness outcomes, classified as central or mixed (central and peripheral) arterial stiffness according to the vascular territory assessed. Six studies with a total of 554 dialysis patients were included. For central arterial stiffness, dialysate calcium concentrations of 1.25 mmol/L (ES = 1.70, 95
Abstract Cardiac ageing is a major biological substrate underlying the increasing burden of age-associated cardiovascular disease. It is characterized by structural and functional remodeling, mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, genomic instability, defective proteostatic control, and impaired regenerative capacity. Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), particularly the cardiac-predominant CaMKIIδ isoform, has emerged as a central stress-responsive signaling node linking Ca²⁺ mishandling, redox imbalance, inflammatory activation, impaired autophagic flux, mitochondrial injury, and maladaptive transcriptional remodeling in the ageing myocardium. Under physiological conditions, CaMKII activation is transient and Ca²⁺/calmodulin dependent. In the ageing heart, sustained oxidation, O-GlcNAcylation, and autophosphorylation prolong kinase activity and amplify pathological signaling. Evidence from aged rodent models, pressure-overload and ischemia-reperfusion models, diabetic cardiomyopathy models, and human failing cardiomyocytes supports a contributory role for CaMKII in multiple age-related cardiovascular disorders. Experimental inhibition of CaMKII has been shown to attenuate pathological remodeling and improve stress maladaptation in preclinical settings. This review integrates current evidence on the role of CaMKII across major hallmarks of cardiac ageing and proposes a conceptual framework in which CaMKII connects molecular stress signaling to age-related cardiac disease phenotypes. Current evidence remains limited by the predominance of animal and cell-based studies, limited direct evidence from older human myocardium without overt cardiovascular disease, incomplete definition of splice-variant-specific actions, and lack of late-stage clinical validation. Selective targeting of pathological CaMKII signaling may therefore warrant further investigation as a strategy for attenuating cardiac ageing and its related disease burden.
Abstract This pilot study introduces the first subject‑specific, physiology‑informed neural network approach for accurate estimation of the full blood pressure (BP) waveform. The method builds on a nonlinear autoregressive model with exogenous inputs (NARX), implemented through artificial neural networks trained on subject‑specific electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. Three model configurations are evaluated: (1) a reference NARX model trained on 30 min of data, (2) a reduced‑data NARX model trained on 15 min, and (3) a physiology‑informed model (NARX physio ), also trained on 15 min, which incorporates a personalized four‑parameter BP–PPG sigmoidal layer into the training process through a dual‑output loss function that simultaneously estimates the BP and PPG waveforms. By embedding BP–PPG physiology directly into training, the architecture ensures internal physiological consistency—something not achieved in existing PPG‑based or purely data‑driven machine learning approaches. All three models were assessed on a small ( n = 5), but rich dataset, covering over six hours of activities of daily living. Despite using only half the training duration of the baseline NARX model, the physiology‑informed approach maintains accurate BP estimation. Beyond improved accuracy, the sigmoidal layer provides physiologically interpretable parameters, including estimated arterial‑compliance curve width with an average of 36.5 mmHg and an estimated PPG contact pressure with an average of 59 mmHg in this study, offering insights unavailable in standard neural network models. Together, these preliminary results suggest that the NARX physio model enables effective personalization of cuffless BP waveform estimation with limited training data, highlighting its potential to improve both the reliability and the clinical relevance of continuous cuffless BP monitoring.
Abstract Background High sodium diet is a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and is closely associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertensive heart disease (HHD). There is considerable heterogeneity in the sodium-related cardiac diseases across China, G20, and Southeast Asian countries. Examining and contrasting the data from these regions can provide a basis for developing effective prevention and control strategies for IHD and HHD. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the temporal trends, driving factors, and future projections of these diseases to test the hypothesis of distinct regional and demographic disparities. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 database, populations from China, G20 and Southeast Asian countries from 1990 to 2023 were included, focusing on high sodium diet-related hypertensive heart disease (HNaD-HHD) and high sodium diet-related ischemic heart disease (HNaD-IHD). Statistical methods including Joinpoint regression and ARIMA predictive analysis were used to analyze the distribution and trends of core indicators such as disease Deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), quantify the driving factors and conduct future burden prediction. Results The age-standardized rates (ASRs) of death-related burden (Deaths/DALYs/years of life lost, YLLs) for both diseases generally showed a declining trend, while the absolute numbers continued to rise. The burden of HNaD-HHD presented a steady decline characteristic, whereas HNaD-IHD burden showed fluctuations with significant heterogeneity, and China was identified as a core region for HNaD-IHD risk. In addition, the years lived with disability (YLDs) of HNaD-HHD in China showed an upward trend. The disease burden in males was significantly higher than that in females (the male-to-female ratio was about 1.5-2.0). The remission of HNaD-HHD burden was mainly driven by epidemiological changes, while the increase of HNaD-IHD burden was mainly attributed to population growth and aging. Predictive results indicated that the characteristics of “declining or plateauing standardized rates” and “rising absolute numbers” may coexist for a long time. Conclusions There are significant differences in the burden characteristics and driving factors of the two types of sodium-related heart diseases, with obvious regional and population heterogeneity. This study provides precise evidence-based support for developing targeted prevention and control strategies for high sodium diet and salt-reduction interventions in different regions.
We recognise epicardial fat thickness (EFT) as a biomarker for cardiometabolic risk and blood pressure variability (BPV) as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity. While studies link them in hypertensive patients, data for healthy young adults are lacking. This study examines the relationship between EFT-BPV in healthy young adults. Demonstrating this relationship in healthy young adults may be important for the early identification of individuals at higher cardiovascular risk and could inform strategies to reduce future cardiovascular events. This study included 172 apparently healthy young adults (18–41 years old) presenting with atypical chest pain but without known chronic disease or abnormal cardiac findings. EFT was measured via transthoracic echocardiography, and a 24-hour Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was used to assess BPV. Laboratory tests, body mass index (BMI), and fatty liver index (FLI) were evaluated. Correlations and regression analyses were used to explore associations; significance was set at p < 0.05. Power analysis confirmed an adequate sample size (N = 170, f²=0.15, α = 0.05, power = 0.80). EFT was significantly correlated with 24-hour systolic BPV (r = 0.171, p = 0.028), 24-hour diastolic BPV (r = 0.173, p = 0.025), nighttime systolic BPV (r = 0.193, p = 0.012), and nighttime diastolic BPV (r = 0.183, p = 0.018). In multivariable regression analysis, EFT, smoking, and platelet/basophil ratio were independently associated with nighttime systolic BPV (R² = 0.110, p = 0.002). These findings demonstrate an association between EFT and BPV in apparently healthy young adults, with the strongest association observed for nighttime systolic BPV. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify directionality and causality.
Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a common cerebrovascular disease characterized by abnormal bulging of the intracranial arterial wall, with high potential risk of rupture and severe clinical consequences. As a major subtype of IAs, middle cerebral artery aneurysm (MCAA) accounts for 30
Abstract Background Urinary dopamine enhances blood pressure (BP) regulation by promoting natriuresis, vasodilation, and anti-inflammatory effects while lowering renal oxidative stress. Ethnicity-related differences in sodium handling, sympathetic activity, and subsequently renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are well-known. Limited knowledge exists with regards to urinary dopamine and its association with arterial health. We aimed to examine the association of urinary dopamine with arterial health measures including pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and endothelin-1 (ET-1), in Black and White adults. Methods We included adults aged 20–65 years (n = 278) stratified by ethnicity, Black (n = 110) and White (n = 168). An 8-hour urine sample was collected, followed by analysis of creatinine, sodium, potassium, dopamine, and its metabolites, 3,4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA). We also measured vascular health measures including PWV, CIMT, ROS, and ET-1. Results Systolic and diastolic BP measures and CIMT were higher in the Black than the White group (p ≤ 0.045). Urinary dopamine levels were comparable between the groups, while HVA and DOPAC along with ROS and CRP were higher in the Black individuals (p < 0.001). A positive independent association between CIMT and urinary dopamine was observed in the White group only (β = 0.166; p = 0.007). In the Black group CIMT associated positively and independently with HVA (β = 0.100; p = 0.036). Conclusion CIMT associated positively with urinary dopamine in the White group, while in the Black group CIMT associated positively with HVA, which may reflect heightened oxidative stress-driven urinary dopamine turnover. These findings highlight ethnicity-specific mechanisms linking urinary dopamine to vascular remodelling.
Abstract Objectives High cardiorespiratory fitness is a vital part of cardiovascular prevention in health and disease. However, the optimal age of aerobic exercise interventions is unclear and animal studies suggest a blunted effect of training on cardiorespiratory fitness with a priori endothelial dysfunction. This study aims to assess the effect of pre-existing endothelial dysfunction on the association between age and cardiorespiratory fitness as well as the change of the latter in response to 8 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Methods Cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen consumption [ $$\dot{V}$$ O2peak]), brachial-arterial flow-mediated dilation (baFMD) and cardiovascular risk were assessed in 164 apparently healthy disease-free middle-aged adults with and without pre-existing endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors (n = 36 arterial hypertension, n = 59 obesity, n = 118 dyslipidemia, n = 15 diabetes mellitus type II, n = 30 chronic inflammation). 30 of them underwent a randomized-controlled and supervised 8-week aerobic training intervention followed by a second assessment of $$\dot{V}$$ O2peak, baFMD and cardiovascular risk. Multiple linear regression models were used to address the study aims. Results No clear evidence was found for a moderating effect of baFMD on the relationship of $$\dot{V}$$ O2peak with age (F(3, 151) = 1.37, p = 0.254). The improvement of $$\dot{V}$$ O2peak by aerobic exercise was significantly attenuated with lower baseline baFMD (F(3, 5.33) = 43.13, df = 3, p < 0.001). Conclusions The results provide evidence in middle-aged adults for an attenuated response of cardiorespiratory fitness to aerobic exercise in the presence of endothelial dysfunction, advocating for the early involvement of aerobic exercise within primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and low cardiorespiratory fitness. Trial Registration TRN: (COmPLETE Health cohort [NCT03986892] and VascuFit cohort [NCT05235958]).
Myocardial fractal dimension (FD), a marker of myocardial microarchitecture, correlates with cardiac remodeling. The molecular mechanisms linking α-Klotho, a circulating anti-aging protein, to myocardial FD remain unclear. This study investigates the causal relationship between circulating α-Klotho levels and left ventricular trabecular FD using Mendelian randomization (MR) and explores the molecular pathways mediating this association. Data for α-Klotho levels were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS database (N = 4,675), and left ventricular trabecular FD from the UK Biobank (N = 18,096). MR analysis was performed using genetic instruments associated with α-Klotho, applying Maximum Likelihood, MR-Egger, Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW), and other methods. Sensitivity analyses (Leave-One-Out and funnel plots) assessed robustness. Functional Mapping and Annotation (FUMA) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses were used to identify biological processes and pathways. MR analysis revealed a significant positive causal relationship between α-Klotho levels and left ventricular trabecular FD in mid-myocardial slices (Slices 5) (OR = 1.003, 95
Abstract Background Hypertension remains a major concern in kidney transplant recipients, in part due to the detrimental effects of standard care immunosuppressive therapy. Although resistance training appears safe and may reduce aortic stiffness in kidney transplant recipients, it lacks consistent brachial anti-hypertensive effects, and its impact on central hemodynamics and pulsatile cardiac load remains uncertain. We tested whether 6 months of low-intensity resistance training reduces cardiac workload by lowering central systolic pressure (cSBP) and aortic stiffness at rest. Methods We analyzed 85 kidney transplant recipients (resistance training: n = 57; standard care: n = 28) from a randomized trial. The intervention group completed biweekly, 60 min, personalized low-intensity resistance sessions targeting the upper and lower body. Radial applanation tonometry with a generalized transfer function enabled central aortic waveform analysis. Cardiac workload was assessed via wasted pressure effort (Ew) and systolic pressure time integral (SPTI). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was used as a measure of aortic stiffness. Results At baseline, groups did not differ in cSBP (p = 0.767), Ew (p = 0.321), and SPTI (p = 0.219). Group-by-time interactions were observed for cSBP (p = 0.049), Ew (p = 0.022), and SPTI (p = 0.019). Low-intensity resistance training showed no significant changes, while standard care exhibited reductions in cSBP (mean difference (Δ)6-bas = − 9 mmHg, 95% CI: − 15 to − 3 mmHg, p = 0.004), Ew (Δ6-bas = − 992 dyne s. cm−2, 95% CI: − 1864 to − 121 dyne s. cm−2, p = 0.026), and SPTI (Δ6-bas = − 3302 mmHg × ms, 95% CI: − 5780 to -824 mmHg × ms, p = 0.010). cf-PWV was unchanged in both groups (time: p = 0.478). Conclusions Low-intensity resistance training did not affect central arterial load on the heart, supporting its safety in kidney transplant recipients, while standard care may confer a cardiac workload benefit.
Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health challenge. Vascular ageing assessment can identify high-risk individuals for effective prevention, but the knowledge, awareness, perceptions, applications, and limitations of vascular ageing assessment in clinical and research settings are limited. This study assessed these aspects among researchers and clinicians. Methods A pilot-tested questionnaire from our previous study was distributed to clinicians and researchers. Participant’s characteristics and percentages for responses on various aspects of vascular ageing including knowledge, awareness, perceptions, applications, and limitations were reported. Results Two hundred seventy-six people completed the survey (aged 47 ± 15 years, 49.6% male, 67.0% researchers, response rate 75.4%). Findings indicated a consensus on the importance of vascular ageing in a research and clinical context. Approximately 75% acknowledged the association between vascular ageing and overall CVD risk. The group identified as most likely to benefit from vascular ageing assessment were individuals with positive family histories of CVD. There was a consensus on the potential for vascular ageing biomarkers to improve CVD risk evaluation and prevention. Over 90% believe that vascular ageing can be modified. However, less than 10% of clinicians currently measure vascular ageing in clinical settings, citing time constraints, cost and lack of guidelines as main barriers. Conclusions This study highlights the perceived value of vascular ageing measures in both research and clinical settings and identifies the challenges and limitations hindering widespread implementation. Addressing the identified challenges may facilitate the integration of vascular ageing assessments into routine clinical practice, potentially improving CVD risk stratification and patient outcomes.
Abstract This article is an extended review which arises from the ARTERY Career Development Lecture Award 2025 (Valencia, Spain) and reflects my scientific trajectory as a clinical academic pharmacist working at the interface of vascular physiology, pharmacology, and translational hypertension research. Beginning with my early mechanistic studies of sodium and fluid homeostasis during my PhD, this body of work has sought to understand how the events underlying the measurable biological signals contribute to vascular injury beyond BP alone. Subsequent translational and population-level investigations have focused on quantifying pressure-independent modulation of arterial stiffness and redefining antihypertensive “class effects” on the arterial wall.
Abstract Background The hypertension-mediated brain damage is more frequent than cardiac or renal damage, but early silent brain damage is not routinely included in the evaluation of patients with hypertension. Consequently, hypertensive patients with early brain damage are unidentified and their cardiovascular risk underestimated. If we consider cognitive impairment as a surrogate of vascular brain damage, a cognitive test implemented in the routine clinical evaluation of hypertensive patients could detect early cerebral small vessel disease. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of cerebral, cardiac and renal organ damage in hypertensive patients and evaluate the usefulness of the clock-drawing test for brain damage detection. Patients and Methods Multicenter, multinational, cross-sectional study in patients with essential hypertension seen in four centers in Argentina and one center in Uruguay. Organ damage was assessed by means of glomerular filtration rate (GFR, Cockcroft-Gault equation), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and the clock-drawing test. Results A sample of 441 patients (mean age 63.2 ± 11.8 years, 53.2% female) was included. Of all participants, 60.5% presented impairment of some marker of target organ damage. The heart (elevated LVMI) was affected 32.8% and the kidney (reduced GFR) in 20.4% while silent brain damage (abnormal clock-drawing test) was observed in 38% of all patients. In addition, abnormal clock-drawing test was seen in 47.2% of hypertensive patients with cardiac and/or renal damage, and in 30.7% of patients without cardiac and/or renal damage. Conclusion Silent brain damage was more prevalent than pre-clinical cardiac and/or renal damage. The clock-drawing test turned out to be a useful tool in routine clinical practice to detect early brain damage expressed as mild cognitive impairment in hypertensive patients.
Abstract The compliant properties of arteries are pivotal to cardiovascular function and arise from the concerted work of a highly specialised wall microstructure comprising compliant elastin, progressively recruited, stiff collagen fibres, and contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Ageing and disease disrupt this (micro)structure–function coupling. While conventional clinical vascular indices allow for characterising the functional consequences of vascular ageing, they provide limited mechanistic insight into the underlying microstructural remodelling processes. Using illustrative examples from our group’s previous work, this paper, which provides an overview of my Career Development Lecture at the ARTERY24 conference (Cardiff, UK), proposes constitutive modelling as a useful framework to bridge this gap by representing whole-artery mechanics as the superimposed contributions of key microstructural constituents. The first example illustrates the ability of constitutive models to provide a detailed microstructural interpretation of the temporal dynamics of age-related arterial stiffening. The second example disentangles the microstructural determinants of arterial viscoelasticity and highlights the usefulness of viscoelastic characterisation to unravel microstructural disease mechanisms. The third demonstrates the formulation of a multi-scale model of the tri-layered arterial wall to highlight the functional uniqueness of the ascending aorta as the principal determinant of windkessel function. Finally, this paper recognises the need for extensive biomechanical data for model parametrisation as the main limiting factor to the widespread adoption of constitutive modelling in clinical settings. It discusses mechanobiologically informed constraints and longitudinal, multi-bed acquisitions of arterial waveforms as potential strategies to aid model parametrisation with sparse in vivo data, which may pave the way for future use of constitutive modelling to inform clinical decision-making.
Abstract Background Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the gold-standard non-invasive measure of arterial stiffness. Technological advances have led to the development of newer devices for measuring PWV, resulting in the discontinuation of earlier models. However, it is unclear whether PWV measurements from different devices can be combined within the same population. We therefore compared PWV obtained using the SphygmoCor CVMS (tonometer-ECG-gated) and XCEL (tonometer-thigh cuff) devices in a sample of young adults. South African adults (n = 115, mean age: 35 ± 12 years, 50.4% male, 63.5% Black African) attending the ongoing Multi-Ethnic Early Vascular Ageing Study (MEEVA) had PWV measurements using SphygmoCor CVMS and XCEL devices. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman’s rank correlation, Bland-Altman plots, and regression analysis were employed to compare PWV across devices. Results No difference (p = 0.07) in the PWV measurements between the CVMS (6.3 m/s, IQR: 5.5–7.4) and XCEL devices (6.2 m/s, IQR: 5.5–7.2), and a moderate correlation was observed (rs = 0.69, p < 0.001). There was an acceptable level of agreement (mean difference in PWV: 0.32 ± 1.67 m/s; limits of agreement: -2.95 to 3.59), albeit with a proportional bias, as CVMS recorded higher PWV than XCEL, with mean PWV > 8.5 m/s. Age (p = 0.058) was the primary determinant of the difference in PWV between the devices. Conclusion There was no difference in PWV between CVMS and XCEL devices, and a good limit of agreement; a proportional bias was observed at higher PWV values. Hence, there is potential to pool data collected from either device, which would aid in creating larger South African-specific PWV databases.
Abstract Background and aim Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a significant contributor to cerebral infarction. miR-15b-3p shows aberrant expression in various diseases. This research sought to assess serum miR-15b-3p expression in CAS, its diagnostic value, and the underlying mechanisms. Methods This study recruited 111 CAS patients and 157 healthy controls. miR-15b-3p’s diagnostic potential was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The role of miR-15b-3p for human vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs) was examined using cell transfection, proliferation assays, and apoptosis analysis. Targets of miR-15b-3p were identified through bioinformatics analysis and validated using dual-luciferase assays. Results Patients with CAS exhibited significantly elevated serum miR-15b-3p levels relative to controls. miR-15b-3p demonstrated 75.68% sensitivity and 81.82% specificity in CAS detection (AUC = 0.853) and could distinguish severe CAS (AUC = 0.788, sensitivity = 74.51%, specificity = 76.67%). miR-15b-3p promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of HA-VSMCs by targeting PTEN. In CAS patients, PTEN showed a negative correlation with miR-15b-3p levels (r = -0.601, P < 0.001). Conclusion Serum miR-15b-3p is elevated in CAS patients. It promotes the proliferation of HA-VSMC cells via targeting PTEN. Although miR-15b-3p holds promise diagnostic value for CAS, it is not yet sufficient for clinical diagnosis.
Abstract Background This study examined whether a 16-week progressive resistance training program could affect metabolic syndrome-related variables, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and inflammatory markers in older women with and without metabolic syndrome. Methods Thirty-two women aged 70–85 years completed a 16-week resistance training program performed three times per week. Participants were assigned to either a metabolic syndrome group (MSG, n = 16) or a metabolically healthy group (MHG, n = 16). Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results Among the metabolic syndrome-related variables, DBP showed a significant main effect of time, fasting glucose showed significant main effects of group and time, and TG showed a significant main effect of time. HDL-C showed a significant group × time interaction, along with significant main effects of group and time. cf-PWV also showed a significant group × time interaction and a significant main effect of time. For inflammatory markers, IL-8 showed a significant main effect of time, and MCP-1 showed significant main effects of group and time. Conclusions The 16-week resistance training program was associated with changes in several vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory outcomes in older women. Significant group × time interactions were observed for HDL-C and cf-PWV, while several other variables showed overall group and/or time effects. These findings support the potential value of progressive resistance training as a practical non-pharmacological approach for older adults.
