Background Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is crucial to hypertension control and prevention of future stroke and heart attack. All BP measuring devices must be validated independently in the clinical setting. Objective To validate the accuracy of three automatic upper arm devices (Omron HEM-7120, Yuwell YE680A and Cofoe KF-65B) for self-measurement of BP in Chinese adults with arm size of 22–32 cm. Methods The validation was conducted independently for each of the three devices according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010 (ESH-IP revision 2010), with the facilitation of a designated smartphone application. Subjects were recruited from those attending Beijing Anzhen Hospital for routine physical examination and clinic visits. For each device, BP was measured sequentially in 33 adults using a mercury sphygmomanometer (two observers) and the test device (one supervisor) with seven measurements alternating between observers and the device, which generated a total of 99 before/after paired values for SBP and DBP separately. The judgments were made based on the distribution of the paired difference among the 99 measurements (Part 1) and among the 33 subjects (Part 2). To pass, a device must achieve all the minimum Pass requirements in Part 1 and Part 2 for both SBP and DBP (Part 3). Results Only HEM-7120 achieved the part 1 and part 2 targets for both SBP and DBP. KF-65B achieved the DBP targets of part 1 and part 2 but failed for SBP. YE680A only achieved the DBP targets of part 2 but failed for all others. The findings also indicated that the devices had higher SBP readings (1.3 mmHg, 1.0 mmHg and 4.1 mmHg higher for HEM-7120, YE680A and KF-65B, respectively) and lower DBP readings (2.0 mmHg, 1.1 mmHg and 3.3 mmHg lower, respectively) when compared to the mercury sphygmomanometer. Conclusions The Omron HEM-7120 passed the requirements of the ESH-IP 2010 revision, while the Yuwell YE680A and Cofoe KF-65B failed (part 3).

Background  Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) is a common complication of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), causing morbidity and mortality. Methods  This study retrospectively analyzed patients with DCM from January 2002 to August 2020 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital. Clinical characteristics were compared between the LVT group and the age and sex 1:4 matched with the LVT absent group. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of D-dimer predicting LVT occurrence in DCM. Results  A total of 3,134 patients were screened, and LVT was detected in 72 (2.3%) patients on echocardiography. The patients with LVT had higher D-dimer, fibrinogen, and lower systolic blood pressure than those without LVT. The ejection fraction (EF) was lower and left ventricular end-systolic diameter was larger in the LVT group. Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) was more common in the LVT absent groups. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation was lower in the LVT group. The ROC curve analysis yielded an optimal cut-off value of 444 ng/mL DDU (D-dimer units) for D-dimer to predict the presence of LVT. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that EF (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.86–0.95), severe MR (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.08–0.48), and D-dimer level (OR = 15.4, 95% CI = 7.58–31.4) were independently associated with LVT formation. Conclusion  This study suggested that elevated D-dimer levels (>444 ng/mL DDU) and reduced EF were independently associated with increased risk of LVT formation. Severe MR could decrease the incidence of LVT.

Background:Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a prevalent type of organ disease, caused by atherosclerosis, and is the leading cause of global human mortality. Ferroptosis, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death, is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the differential expression of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and their potential relationship with CHD. Methods: The CHD datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and microarray data was normalized and analyzed for differential expression genes (DEGs) using R software. FRGs were retrieved from the FerrDb and GeneCards databases, and their intersection with DEGs was determined using Venn diagrams. The differential expression FRGs were subjected to further analyses, including GO, KEGG, GSEA, transcription factor analysis, and PPI network analysis. Immune infiltration analysis was performed on both control and CHD groups, and diagnostic biomarkers for CHD were identified by constructing ROC curves. Finally, the expression of the diagnostic biomarkers at the gene level in mice was validated using qRT-PCR assay. Results: Our study identified 25 DEGs associated with ferroptosis, which were enriched in various biological processes, including response to extracellular stimulus, regulation of protein ubiquitination, DNA-templated, and autophagy of mitochondrion. The KEGG pathway and GSEA indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. The PPI network analysis identified 6 key genes in the network. The correlation analysis between the expression of these key genes and immune cells showed a significant relationship. Diagnostic biomarkers for CHD, including ICTSB, GABARAPL1, and VDR, were identified using ROC analysis. The expression trends of these biomarkers were further validated using qRT-PCR, which confirmed the consistency with the bioinformatics analysis. Conclusions: Our study identified CTSB, GABARAPL1, and VDR as potential diagnostic biomarkers for CHD. In the future, in-vivo studies are necessary to validate our findings and confirm their clinical utility.