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Open research questions in Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention

110 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 388 Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The study was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis - No prospective sample-size calculation was performed - The findings warrant caution because female uNAG values substantially clustered at 5.00 IU/L

    Sex-specific associations of urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase with arterial stiffness · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigation of the underlying mechanisms of the sex-specific associations between uNAG and arterial stiffness - Examination of the relationship between uNAG and cardiovascular risk factors in different populations - Study of the potential clinical applications of uNAG as a biomarker

    Sex-specific associations of urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase with arterial stiffness · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the relationship between cigarette smoking and carotid plaque stiffness in larger populations, - Examining the effects of smoking cessation on carotid plaque stiffness

    Association Between Cigarette Smoking and Carotid Plaque Stiffness Assessed Using Ultrasound Shear-Wave Elastography · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between cigarette smoking and the local mechanical stiffness of carotid plaques has not been specifically addressed. Prior elastographic studies have examined diffuse carotid wall stiffness and elasticity in smokers compared with non-smokers.

    Association Between Cigarette Smoking and Carotid Plaque Stiffness Assessed Using Ultrasound Shear-Wave Elastography · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge is the limited evidence from relatively healthy adults and across complementary measures of arterial stiffness. Another challenge is the complexity of measuring body composition and arterial stiffness. The study also faced challenges in selecting appropriate inflammatory markers to explain the association between body composition and arterial stiffness.

    The association between body composition and arterial stiffness: investigating the influence of inflammatory markers · 2026 · DOI

  • longitudinal studies to determine whether detailed body-composition measures provide prognostic information, - investigating whether reducing a particular fat compartment lowers arterial stiffness, - examining the relationship between body composition and arterial stiffness in different populations

    The association between body composition and arterial stiffness: investigating the influence of inflammatory markers · 2026 · DOI

  • In addition, childhood obesity is a problem in developed countries, and the utility of CAVI in children has not yet been clarified.

    Associations between obesity and arterial stiffness assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index in healthy children and adolescents · 2025 · DOI

  • In adults, CAVI has been reported to show negative correlation with body mass index (BMI) known as the “obesity paradox”; however, whether this also applies to children remains unclear.

    Associations between obesity and arterial stiffness assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index in healthy children and adolescents · 2025 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiac dysfunction and heart failure are linked to cognitive impairment, but the underlying brain pathology remains undetermined.

    Clinical and Imaging Markers of Cardiac Function and Brain Health · 2025 · DOI

  • However, there is limited evidence and mixed results on whether there is an association between them.

    Arterial stiffness is associated with handgrip strength in relatively healthy Chinese older adults · 2024 · DOI

  • Background: Whether the estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) in Chinese patients with hypertension can serve as an independent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality remains unknown.

    Estimated pulse wave velocity as a predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension in China: a prospective cohort study · 2024 · DOI

  • Background To date, numerous studies have investigated the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and carotid plaques, but the impact of gender on this relationship has not been explored.

    Sex-specific differences in the association between triglyceride glucose index and carotid plaque in a cardiovascular high-risk population: a cross-sectional study based on a Chinese community-dwelling population · 2024 · DOI

  • Background: Although the impact of hypertension on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques has been well established, its association with femoral IMT and plaques has not been extensively examined.

    The ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure is associated with carotid and femoral atherosclerosis · 2024 · DOI

  • In addition, the role of the ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure (SDR) in the subclinical atherosclerosis (AS) risk remains unknown.

    The ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure is associated with carotid and femoral atherosclerosis · 2024 · DOI

  • Triglyceride (TG) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) have been acknowledged to be risk factors for vascular insults, but their impacts on the brain system remain elusive.

    Associations of Triglycerides and Atherogenic Index of Plasma with Brain Structure in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults · 2024 · DOI

  • Previous studies have analyzed the factors associated with diabetic macrovascular disease, although whether these factors are applicable to T2DM patients with carotid atherosclerosis remains unclear.

    Risk factors for carotid plaque formation in type 2 diabetes mellitus · 2024 · DOI

  • Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. Carotid artery plaques serve as a 'window' to systemic atherosclerosis. Current tools for plaque risk stratification are lacking.

    Carotid plaque formation prediction model and validation: a case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • Current tools for plaque risk stratification are lacking. Prior studies have focused on constructing risk stratification scores for established carotid plaques.

    Carotid plaque formation prediction model and validation: a case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only used a rabbit model, which may not be directly applicable to humans. The sample size was limited to 45 rabbits. The study only investigated the effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity on endothelium-dependent relaxation.

    High-fat diet-induced obesity impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation in rabbits: association with MLCK upregulation and partial ex vivo improvement by ML-7 · 2026 · DOI

  • The underlying mechanisms of obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction are not fully understood. The role of MLCK signaling in endothelial function is not well established.

    High-fat diet-induced obesity impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation in rabbits: association with MLCK upregulation and partial ex vivo improvement by ML-7 · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of ePWV on the prognosis of CKM syndrome has not been explored. Research focusing on the role of ePWV in predicting outcomes among individuals with CKM multimorbidity remains scarce.

    Prognostic value of estimated pulse wave velocity for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) syndrome: analyses of NHANES 2007–2018 · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for further research on the effects of resistance training-based interventions on vascular function in adults with type 2 diabetes. The evidence for wave reflection indices and peripheral haemodynamics remains limited. The study's findings reflect resistance training-based interventions overall, rather than isolated resistance training.

    Does resistance training alone or in combination with aerobic training improve vascular function indices in adults with type 2 diabetes? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · 2026 · DOI

  • This review has several limitations. Evidence for wave reflection and peripheral haemodynamics was based on only two studies, resulting in imprecise estimates. Although more studies were available for arterial stiffness and flow-mediated dilation, several subgroup analyses still relied on few effect sizes. Reporting of exercise-prescription variables was also incomplete across studies: while modality, frequency, session duration, and programme dura- tion were usually available, repetitions, sets, supervision, progres- sion, and achieved dose/adherence were less consistently reported, limiting the robustness of moderator analyses and the strength of practical prescription inferences. Heterogeneity in intervention characteristics and comparator conditions may also have influenced the pooled results despite the use of random-effects models and subgroup analyses. In addition, incomplete reporting of randomisation, allocation concealment, blinding, and selective reporting in several trials increases concerns about risk of bias. Finally, study-level moderator analyses were constrained by collin- earity and limited statistical power and should therefore be inter- preted as exploratory.

    Does resistance training alone or in combination with aerobic training improve vascular function indices in adults with type 2 diabetes? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of studies conducted in the UAE or Gulf region. The increasing prevalence of lifestyle and metabolic risk factors in the UAE.

    Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Healthy Young Adults: A Review of Vascular-Metabolic Associations and the Evidence Gap in the UAE Population · 2026 · DOI

  • The determinants of CIMT in young, apparently healthy adults remain underexplored. There is a lack of studies conducted in the UAE or Gulf region.

    Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Healthy Young Adults: A Review of Vascular-Metabolic Associations and the Evidence Gap in the UAE Population · 2026 · DOI

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110 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 388 Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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