Atheromatosis, imt, cardiovascular , carotid

Chronic systemic inflammation contributes to increased CVD burden in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Since long-term follow-up data on subclinical atherosclerosis acceleration are lacking, we examined its progression in contemporary AS patients during 10 years. Fifty-three (89% male, aged 50.4 (36.3-55.9) years,) non-diabetic, CVD-free AS patients and 53 age-sex-matched non-diabetic, control individuals were re-evaluated after 9.2-10.2 years by ultrasonography for carotid/femoral atheromatosis, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and intima-media thickness (IMT), performed by the same operator/protocol...

Background: The arterial pathology and mechanisms of increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in HCV-infected individuals are not yet clear. The aim of this study was to identify types of arterial pathology in treatment-naive chronic HCV patients and to test their reversibility after successful treatment. Methods: Consecutive, never-treated, HCV-infected patients were compared with age and CVD-related risk factors, matched controls, healthy individuals (HI), patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and people living with HIV (PLWH), in terms of arterial stiffening by pulse wave velocity, arterial atheromatosis/hypertrophy by carotid plaques/intima-media thickness and impaired pressure wave reflections by augmentation index...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between the serum uric acid levels with the atheromatosis of the carotid arteries of hypertensive patients and the possible role of fibrinogen in this status. DESIGN AND METHOD: We studied 1296 hypertensive patients (45,2% female), treated or newly diagnosed untreated, of mean age: 60,2 ± 5,3 years, without any known cardiovascular disease and with mean office systolic/diastolic arterial blood pressure (S/DBPo): 145,9 ± 12...

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests marginal superiority of static aortic systolic blood pressure (aSBP) compared with brachial SBP (bSBP) regarding the association with organ damage and prognosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The noninvasive 24-hour aSBP assessment is feasible and associates better with presence of left ventricular hypertrophy compared with 24-hour bSBP. We aimed at comparing the association of 24-hour aSBP and 24-hour bSBP with indices of arterial damage and examining the role of 24-hour SBP amplification variability (within-subjects' SD) in this association...

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological data suggest that moderate habitual coffee consumption associates with lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; however scarce data exist regarding the association of coffee with subclinical vascular disease (SVD). We aimed at investigating the above association with habitual instant coffee consumption - a widely consumed coffee in Greece-in high CVD risk but free of established CVD adults. RESEARCH METHODS & PROCEDURES: In a cross-sectional design study we measured: (i) two 24 h dietary recalls to assess coffee consumption, (ii) arterial stiffness, by carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity - (PWV) and carotid compliance, arterial remodeling by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), pressure wave reflection by augmentation index (AIx) and atheromatosis by carotid plaques...

OBJECTIVES: To assess subclinical vascular features in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) via carotid ultrasound, and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), as measures of cardiovascular risk (CVR). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 70 patients diagnosed with SSc (diffuse or limited forms), on whom a vascular study protocol was performed to assess angiodynamic parameters measured by FMD in brachial artery and carotid ultrasound lesions: carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid atheroma plaques (AP)...

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the most relevant cell populations involved in vascular homeostasis as potential biomarkers of SLE-related cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Low-density granulocytes (LDGs), monocyte subsets, endothelial progenitor cells, angiogenic T (Tang) cells, CD4+CD28null and Th1/Th17 lymphocytes and serum cytokine levels were quantified in 109 SLE patients and 33 controls in relationship to the presence of subclinical carotid atheromatosis or cardiovascular disease...

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis correlates with metabolic disorders, early atheromatosis and increased cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES: To assess markers of cardiovascular disease in psoriatic patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional, observational study involving 11 psoriatic participants and 33 controls. Anthropometric, biochemical, hemodynamic and imaging parameters were evaluated. Arterial stiffness was assessed by oscillometric measurement of the brachial artery...

INTRODUCTION: Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus is a risk factor for developing atheromatous plaques, although the possible effect of virus clearance is unknown. Our aim was to determine whether or not subclinical atheromatosis improved and there was any modification in the composition of the plaques 12 months after eradication of hepatitis C virus by direct-acting antiviral agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study that included 85 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in different stages of fibrosis who were on direct-acting antiviral agents...

BACKGROUND: The association between subclinical atheromatosis and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is unknown but is relevant now that antivirals are improving the survival of patients with the infection. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether HCV is an independent risk factor for subclinical atheromatosis and to analyse the changes in lipid profiles according to viral RNA levels and hepatic fibrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that included 102 HCV-positive patients and 102 HCV-negative patients with parity in terms of sex and age, with no history of cardiovascular or kidney disease or diabetes...

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to identify the cardiovascular risk associated with chronic inflammation and disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using noninvasive ultrasonographic radiofrequency data technology. METHODS: In this study, a total of 87 participants, 38 patients with AS and 49 healthy controls, were evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography. Intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial stiffness were measured from the bilateral common carotid artery using the radiofrequency method...

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular (CV) events are the first cause of death in patients with chronic renal disease (CKD) and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The combination of CKD and DM2 elevates the risk of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death in this high-risk population. Besides traditional risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, smoking, obesity, and carotid atherosclerosis, novel factors are under investigation such as genetic polymorphisms. Lipoxygenases (LOXs) and their genes are of critical importance in oxidative stress, inflammation, and atherosclerosis...

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship and the accuracy of SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation Project) risk correlated to multiple methods for determining subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a healthy population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 120 completely asymptomatic subjects, with an age range 35-75 years, and randomly selected from the general population. The individuals were evaluated clinically and biochemical, and the SCORE risk was computed...

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, characterized by traditional and nontraditional risk factors, are prone to develop atheromatosis and thus cardiovascular events and mortality. The angiogenesis of the adventitial vasa vasorum (aVV) surrounding the carotid has been described as the atheromatosis initiator. Therefore, the aim of the study was to (1) evaluate if the carotid aVV in CKD patients increases in comparison to its physiological value of healthy patients; (2) explore which traditional or nontraditional risk factor including inflammation, bone and mineral metabolism, and anemia could be related to the aVV angiogenesis...

OBJECTIVE: Target organ damage (TOD) evaluation in patients with arterial hypertension is necessary in order to estimate cardiovascular risk (CVR) and plan treatment. Increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), an index of TOD, represents the diffuse vascular atheromatosis. The integrity of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) plays a vital role in vascular permeability, inflammation and elasticity and finally to cardiovascular disease. Sideview Darkfield imaging allows for non-invasive automated estimation of EG dimensions based on the erythrocyte column distribution...

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant recipients have high cardiovascular risk, and vascular inflammation may play an important role. We explored whether the inflammatory state in the vessel wall was related to carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) and patient survival following kidney transplantation. METHODS: In this prospective observational cohort study we measured c-IMT and expression of proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules in the inferior epigastric artery in 115 kidney transplant candidates...

OBJECTIVE: The early identification of the onset of subclinical atheromatosis is essential in reducing the high mortality risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide. Although carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is the most commonly used early predictor of ongoing atherosclerosis, an experimental model of atherosclerosis, demonstrated that increases in adventitial microvessels (vasa vasorum (VV)) precede endothelial dysfunction. Using the reported accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) to measure carotid adventitial VV, this study assessed whether measurements of carotid adventitial VV serve as a marker of subclinical atherosclerotic lesions in a control population with none of the classical risk factors for CVD...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associates with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality thought to be due to accelerated arterial disease. Different components of arterial disease, namely, atheromatosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial wall hypertrophy, are differentially affected by classical CVD risk factors, which are highly prevalent in these patients. We hypothesized that RA disease per se may also differentially affect these components. Of 267 consecutive RA patients, we selected specifically those who were free of established CVD and CVD risk factors (18 %); of them, 41 patients (36 women, 49 ± 13 years) could be matched effectively 1:1 for age and gender to healthy controls...

BACKGROUND: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disorder associated with increased cardiovascular risk, mainly as a result of accelerated atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of HT on carotid atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness, as possible mediators of this vascular impairment. Menopausal status was also considered in this setting since HT is mainly prevalent in women. METHODS: Fifty-four women with HT and normal thyroid function (thyrotropin [TSH] < 4...

BACKGROUND: Prediabetic glucose homeostasis alterations are important cardiovascular risk factors but their role in renal transplant recipients (RTR) has not been established. METHODS: In 172 RTRs without pretransplant or de novo diabetes, we measured carotid intima media thickness (c-IMT) and performed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, age, hypertension and male sex were independently associated with a c-IMT in the third tertile...