Healio Minute Feb. 5. 2014 Edition: Hypoxia called villain in sleep apnea, girth not always linked to metabolic risk, longer BP trajectory scrutinized

What just happened in medicine and why do you care?

Sleep apnea-related factors may predict cardiovascular events

Healio.com/Cardiology: Findings support emerging evidence in both animal models and humans that intermittent hypoxia may be a crucial mechanistic link whereby obstructive sleep apnea causes oxidative stress, metabolic derangement and endothelial damage. Read more.

Fewer than three metabolic risk factors found in majority of patients with abdominal obesity

Healio.com/Endocrinology: Researchers observe that among those with high abdominal obesity, only about one-half or less had categorical metabolic risk factors. Read more.

Higher BP trajectories in early adulthood linked to increased coronary artery calcification in middle age

Healio.com/Cardiology: Researchers say additional research could examine the utility of specific BP trajectories in risk prediction for clinical cardiovascular disease events and explore the effect of lifestyle modification, treatment, and timing of intervention on lifetime trajectories in BP and outcomes. Read more.

Cirrhosis survival rates dropped markedly among hospitalized vs. ambulatory patients

Healio.com/Hepatology: Findings suggests that liver disease could be managed more intensively in an outpatient or day care setting, which might reduce emergency admissions, with the hope of ultimately improving survival. Read more.

Hand osteoarthritis associated with fat percentage, fat mass and waist–hip ratio

Healio.com/Rheumatology: More research is necessary to understand the role of adipose tissue in OA, researchers say, focusing on abdominal fat distribution and secretion of cytokines in relation to OA. Read more.