Introduction Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is a critical condition characterized by reduced blood flow to the heart and includes various conditions such as ST-elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate age-related patterns of symptoms and risk factors in ACS patients and to evaluate how diagnostic test results differ among various age groups of ACS patients. Methodology This retrospective study was conducted from May to November of 2023 on patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to the cardiology ward of Rehman Medical Institute (RMI), Peshawar. The sample size was 137 ACS-diagnosed patients based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After getting ethical approval from the institutional ethical approval board, data were collected for the entire year of 2022 based on proforma with the variables demographic data, troponin I level, presented symptoms, and associated co-morbidities of the patients. The inclusion criteria were patients of all genders, patients diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), and patients whose records were available in the cardiology department of Rehman Medical Institute.  Results The results show that ACS is more prevalent in the age group of 50-69 years (p=0.037) and is significantly more common in males (p=0.019). Chest pain emerged as the predominant symptom, with a significant association of p=0.029 between chest pain and patients of ACS in the age group 30-49 years. While raised troponin I levels were prevalent across all age groups. Moreover, specific risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and family history of CAD showed the significance of p= 0.04, p=0.006, and p=0.021, respectively, with the age group 50-69 years old. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of considering age and gender in ACS management and provides insights into age-related patterns of symptoms and risk factors, which can contribute to optimizing preventive strategies and improving patient care. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and assess long-term outcomes in different age groups.

Introduction Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common global food additive in processed foods, influences flavors and textures due to its chemical complexity and nutritional intricacy. Despite an annual production of 1.9 million tons and historical safety concerns, the multifaceted impact on health, ranging from metabolic disorders to neurological and cardiovascular implications, necessitates ongoing research for informed consumption and balanced dietary practices. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study investigates MSG-associated intricacies among Saudi Arabia\'s urban population. The research included questionnaire development, translation, and cultural adaptation, and was validated by nutrition experts. A sample size of 420 was calculated for a 95% confidence level. Data collection occurred from September 13 to October 31, 2023, and ethical considerations were ensured. Statistical analysis, including chi-square tests, regression analysis, and SPSS, explored intricacy relationships. Results The MSG intricacy study in Saudi Arabia\'s urban population, involving 420 respondents, showed statistically significant correlations (P < 0.05) in demographics. The key findings indicate an awareness of the impact of MSG on health, its associations with various conditions, and strong support for its exclusion from foods. Region, gender, age, and social status correlations highlighted diverse perspectives. The Western province showed the highest response rate at 42.61%, prompting regional awareness questions. Gender dynamics showed that 90.47% of the respondents were females, emphasizing potential gender-specific concerns. Concentration among ages 20-30 (61.9%) underscored generational factors. While commendable baseline awareness was noted, 73.09% of the participants believing MSG is harmful prompts further investigation. Emotional responses, including happiness (25.95%) and frustration (18.33%), highlight the complexity of the individuals\' experiences, emphasizing the need for tailored communication strategies. Conclusion The MSG intricacy study in Saudi Arabia\'s urban population reveals insights into knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, emphasizing the need for nuanced interventions considering regional and emotional differences. The findings underscore health concerns, supporting regulations, and knowledge impact on behavior. This survey serves as a valuable tool for informed public discourse and decision-making in the unique socio-cultural context of urban Saudi Arabia.

Background and rationale The impact of meteorological factors, including atmospheric temperature, humidity, and wind speed, on the incidence of atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF) has been the subject of several studies, but the findings have been inconsistent. Given the complex and multifaceted nature of this relationship, a larger-scale study was necessary to provide sufficient statistical power and elucidate potential associations between them. The aim of this study was, thus, to investigate the potential associations between meteorological factors and the incidence of AF. Methods The South Korean government provides open access to national health insurance and weather data for its citizens; the data was available from January 2010 to July 2022. The national health insurance data includes the monthly number of patients diagnosed with a specific condition, reflecting the incidence and prevalence of the condition. Pearson correlation analyses were performed using the statistical analysis software, SAS® OnDemand for Academics (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina, United States), to examine the association between each month\'s national average climate data and the number of patients diagnosed with AF. Results The number of patients diagnosed with AF in the total population showed a statistically significant correlation only with average wind speed (correlation coefficient (r)=-0.42, 95%CI -0.55 to -0.28, p<0.001) and sunshine duration (r=0.27, 95%CI 0.12 to 0.41, p<0.001). Among females aged 20-24 years, there was a statistically significant association with other variables, including average temperature, precipitation, humidity, and atmospheric pressure (p<0.05). Diurnal temperature variation showed inconsistent associations across different age and sex groups. Conclusion The number of patients diagnosed with AF is negatively correlated with average wind speed and positively correlated with sunshine duration in the general population, particularly among the elderly. There was no significant association between the number of patients diagnosed with AF and average temperature, precipitation, or humidity, except for females aged 20-24 years, who exhibited a significant association with these variables. However, it is important to note that these correlations do not establish causality.

Introduction India accounts for one-fourth of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden and also faces a rising burden of non-communicable diseases. Only a few have studied the association between the infective pathogenesis of TB and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods A cross-sectional exploratory analytical design was used to compare CVD risk factors and immunological and radiological parameters. This was a pilot study conducted in two primary health centers in urban Puducherry between February 2020 and March 2021. Household contacts (HHC) were either spouses or siblings of the newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients selected for comparison as their exposure to infection would be similar to those who were diseased yet did not develop illness. Assuming a difference of 5% in CVD risk between the general population and TB patients, with a 95% confidence interval, the sample size calculated was 153 in each group by nMaster v2.0. Considering the feasibility and resource constrain, we recruited 50 newly diagnosed PTB patients, their age- and gender-matched 50 HHC and 50 PTB patients who completed treatment a year before. CVD risk factors were compared using chi-square or Fisher exact test. Interleukins-6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (INF-γ), highly specific - C reactive protein (hs-CRP), and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were compared using ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test. Results Most participants from each group belonged to lower socio-economic strata and were males (40/50). Alcohol intake was higher among newly diagnosed and treatment-completed PTB patients (82.5% vs 72.5%). Excess salt intake (58%) was present more in newly diagnosed PTB patients. General and abdominal obesity were seen more among HHC (64% and 84%) and treatment-completed PTB patients (50% and 74%). IL-6 was higher in newly diagnosed PTB patients, whereas INF-γ and hs-CRP were higher in treatment-completed PTB patients. The largest proportion of those having high CIMT values was also in the treatment-completed PTB patients. Conclusion Levels of immune markers hint at the role of inflammation due to TB disease being related to the high CIMT values among the newly diagnosed and treatment-completed PTB patients. CVD risk was higher among TB patients even if they had completed treatment and were declared cured.

Objective The disease outcome had been shown to improve with improving patient knowledge. The study had two objectives, firstly to assess the level of knowledge about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the general population, and secondly, to provide written educational material regarding the risk factors, major symptoms, and the prevention of CVDs. Method The target population was the residents living in the Western region of Saudi Arabia, aged 18 years and above. All were invited to participate voluntarily. A pre-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data related to age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, lifestyle habits, and a history of heart diseases, as well as cardiac symptoms, and risk factors. The educational material was provided after the questionnaire. Results The majority of the participants were female (74.8%). The risk factors most frequently identified were lack of exercise, stress, and obesity. Chest pain was recognized as a major symptom (87.6%). Other symptoms included dyspnea, syncope, and excessive sweating. The level of knowledge regarding the risk factors for cardiovascular disease was poor. Only 18.5% were knowledgeable about the risk factors. The majority (60%) could identify the preventable factors, including smoking cessation (92.2%), a high level of cholesterol (88.6%), and hypertension (78.7%). The majority (83.7%) read the educational material and 99% reported that the lecture increased their knowledge about cardiovascular disease. Conclusion Although cardiovascular risk factors are common, there is a big gap in the knowledge in our population. Further, alarming symptoms that bring the patients to medical care are also deficient. A call for action at different levels is urgent. Simple educational material in a basic language and virtual education are useful and cheap tools that must be practiced wherever possible. Education is welcomed by the participants.

The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) polymorphism I405V has been suggested to be involved in longevity and susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. An enhanced reverse cholesterol transport due to enhanced HDL levels has been hypothesized to be the underlying mechanism. However, clinical trials with HDL-enhancing drugs failed to show beneficial effects. Consequently, it has been postulated that genetic variations enhancing HDL levels are cardioprotective only if they also decrease LDL levels.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to genotype 1028 healthy blood donors and 1517 clinically well characterized elderly for CETP I405V.
We could not find any association of this polymorphism with age for both, males or females, in any of these cohorts (P = 0.71 and P = 0.57, respectively, for males and P = 0.55 and P = 0.88, respectively, for females). In addition, no association with cardiovascular diseases could be observed in the elderly cohort (males OR = 1.12 and females OR = 0.88). In the same cohort, the CETP V405V genotype was associated with significantly enhanced HDL levels (P = 0.03), mostly owing to the female sex (P = 0.46 for males, P = 0.02 for females), whereas LDL and triglyceride levels were unchanged (P = 0.62 and P = 0.18, respectively).
Our data support the recent hypothesis that variations enhancing HDL levels without affecting LDL levels are not associated with the risk for cardiovascular diseases.