In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.

Q: Context: Optimistic people report a higher quality of life, engage in more active coping and adopt more health-promoting behaviors than people low in optimism, ie, pessimism. We evaluated whether pessimists are more likely to show progression in carotid disease than optimists.', 'A total of 209 middle-aged healthy premenopausal women enrolled in an epidemiological study of cardiovascular risk factors and had carotid scans 10.4 years and 13.5 years later when they were at least 5 years postmenopausal. Women completed the Life Orientation Test (LOT), a measure of pessimistic and optimistic attitudes, at study entry and at the time of the first carotid scan. Analyses evaluated the association of LOT scores and change in carotid intima medial thickness (IMT) across 3 years.', 'Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the higher the pessimism scores at study entry, the greater the increase in mean IMT (beta = 0.17, p <.007). A comparison of those in the lowest quartile of LOT scores (most optimistic) with those in the other three quartiles showed that the most optimistic group had less progression than the remaining more pessimistic women (mean percent increase = 1.3 and 6.0 for mean IMT, F = 15.4, p <.001). Women who were chronically optimistic at study entry and at the first carotid scan (bottom quartiles at both times) had less progression in mean IMT than did those who were chronically pessimistic (top quartiles at both times).\Question: Do optimistic attitudes protect against progression of carotid atherosclerosis in healthy middle-aged women?

A: Optimistic women are less likely to show progression of carotid disease in mid-life than are pessimists.
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Q: Context: Epidemiological prospective data on cardiovascular (CV) events in elderly subjects from Mediterranean populations are lacking. We aimed to investigate 15-year incidence of CV events and to evaluate the association with CV risk factors in an elderly Mediterranean population.', 'The population of a small Sicilian village were enrolled, visited and a blood sample was drawn at baseline. CV events were recorded in the 15 years of follow-up. From 1351 subjects (75% of the resident population); 315 were in the age range 65-85 years; 266 subjects free from CV disease were analysed. Seventy-seven CV events were recorded in 73 out of 266 subjects, with a 19.7% rate (in 10 years). Hypertension (HTN) (hazards ratio=2.1) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (hazards ratio=1.8) were independently associated with CV events. Subjects with both DM and HTN showed a lower survival free of CV events compared to those with DM or HTN.\Question: Are hypertension and diabetes mellitus associated with cardiovascular events in the elderly without cardiovascular disease . Results of a 15-year follow-up in a Mediterranean population?

A: In a 15-year follow-up of an elderly Mediterranean population free from CV disease, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were related to CV events. The control of risk factors in the elderly needs to be reinforced to achieve better results in terms of CV prevention.
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Q: Context: Human heart valves are prone to glycation, a fundamental process of ageing. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between fructosamine formation and the mechanical properties of human aortic valves.', '67 patients (age: 76±8\u2005years) diagnosed with an aortic valve stenosis, who underwent an aortic valve replacement were enrolled. Fructosamine and calcium concentrations in aortic valves were determined. Using a transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, aortic valve orifice area and transvalvular pressure gradients were measured. In a subgroup of 32 patients, the aortic valve orifice area was sufficient to carry out mechanical testing on a LFPlus Universal material tester. An in vitro removal of fructosamine of the valve was initiated using ATP-dependent fructosamine 3-kinase (FN3K).', 'A significant correlation was found between the aortic valve fructosamine concentration and the calculated aortic valve orifice area: Y (aortic valve orifice area, mm(2))=1.050-0.228X (aortic valve fructosamine concentration, µmol/g valve) (r=-0.38). A significantly higher calcium concentration was measured in the aortic valves of diabetics in comparison with those of non-diabetics. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the presence of diabetes mellitus and aortic valve fructosamine concentration were the main predictors of the extensibility of the aortic valves. In the in vitro deglycation study, a significant lower aortic valve fructosamine concentration was detected after treatment with FN3K. This resulted in an increased flexibility of the aortic valves.\Question: Is the presence of fructosamine in human aortic valves associated with valve stiffness?

A:
Although no direct causativeness is proven with the presented results, which just show an association between fructosamine, the effect of FN3K and aortic valve stiffness, the present study points for the first time towards a possible additional role of the Amadori products in the biomechanical properties of ageing aortic valves.
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