35 research outputs found
Increase in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Grade I Hypertensive Subjects
We studied 74 never-treated grade I hypertensive subjects aged 18 to 45 years and 20 normotensive control subjects to define the rate of increase in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and the potential role played by the various risk factors. IMT was assessed as mean IMT and as maximum IMT in the right and left common carotid artery, carotid bulb, and internal carotid artery at baseline and at the 5-year follow-up. In grade I hypertensive subjects, both mean IMT and mean of maximum IMT were significantly higher compared with baseline values. Compared with normotensive subjects, both mean IMT and maximum IMT increased significantly (at least
P
<0.01) in each carotid artery segment. The increase in cumulative IMT was 3.4-fold for mean IMT and 3.2-fold for mean of maximum IMT. Levels of mean arterial pressure at 24-hour monitoring and total serum cholesterol were factors potentially linked to the increment in mean IMT and mean of maximum IMT. Age was also relevant for the increment in mean of maximum IMT, whereas body mass index played some role in the increment of mean IMT. During the follow-up, mean IMT and mean of maximum IMT increased to a greater degree in white-coat hypertensive subjects (n=35) and sustained hypertensive subjects (n=39) than in normotensive control subjects. No differences were found between white-coat hypertensive subjects and sustained hypertensive subjects for both mean IMT and maximum IMT. Levels of mean arterial pressure at 24-hour monitoring affected the increment in IMT in both white-coat hypertensive subjects and sustained hypertensive subjects. In conclusion, our findings indicate that carotid IMT is greater and grows faster in white-coat hypertensive subjects than in normotensive subjects without significant differences with sustained hypertensive patients
Warfarin, but not rivaroxaban, promotes the calcification of the aortic valve in ApoE-/- mice.
SummaryIntroductionVitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, are known to promote arterial calcification through blockade of gammaâcarboxylation of MatrixâGlaâProtein. It is currently unknown whether other oral anticoagulants such as direct inhibitors of Factor Xa can have protective effects on the progression of aortic valve calcification.AimsTo compare the effect of warfarin and rivaroxaban on the progression of aortic valve calcification in atherosclerotic mice.Results42 ApoEâ/â mice fed with Westernâtype Diet (WTD) were randomized to treatment with warfarin (n = 14), rivaroxaban (n = 14) or control (n = 14) for 8 weeks. Histological analyses were performed to quantify the calcification of aortic valve leaflets and the development of atherosclerosis. The analyses showed a significant increase in valve calcification in mice treated with warfarin as compared to WTD alone (P = .025) or rivaroxaban (P = .005), whereas no significant differences were found between rivaroxaban and WTD (P = .35). Quantification of atherosclerosis and intimal calcification was performed on the innominate artery of the mice and no differences were found between the 3 treatments as far as atherogenesis and calcium deposition is concerned. In vitro experiments performed using bovine interstitial valve cells (VIC) showed that treatment with rivaroxaban did not prevent the osteogenic conversion of the cells but reduce the overâexpression of COXâ2 induced by inflammatory mediators.ConclusionWe showed that warfarin, but not rivaroxaban, could induce calcific valve degeneration in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Both the treatments did not significantly affect the progression of atherosclerosis. Overall, these data suggest a safer profile of rivaroxaban on the risk of cardiovascular disease progression
Preliminary Study on the Effect of a Night Shift on Blood Pressure and Clock Gene Expression
Night shift work has been found to be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. One of the underlying mechanisms seems to be that shift work promotes hypertension, but results have been variable. This cross-sectional study was carried out in a group of internists with the aim of performing a paired analysis of 24 h blood pressure in the same physicians working a day shift and then a night shift, and a paired analysis of clock gene expression after a night of rest and a night of work. Each participant wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM) twice. The first time was for a 24 h period that included a 12 h day shift (08.00â20.00) and a night of rest. The second time was for a 30 h period that included a day of rest, a night shift (20.00â08.00), and a subsequent period of rest (08.00â14.00). Subjects underwent fasting blood sampling twice: after the night of rest and after the night shift. Night shift work significantly increased night systolic blood pressure (SBP), night diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) and decreased their respective nocturnal decline. Clock gene expression increased after the night shift. There was a direct association between night blood pressure and clock gene expression. Night shifts lead to an increase in blood pressure, non-dipping status, and circadian rhythm misalignment. Blood pressure is associated with clock genes and circadian rhythm misalignement
An Uncommon Presentation of Tuberculosis with Cervical Pott's Disease Initially Suspected as Metastatic Lung Cancer
Cervical Pott\u2019s disease is a rare clinical condition whose diagnosis is usually delayed. We report a case of lung tuberculosis (TB) and cervical Pott\u2019s disease mimicking a metastatic lung cancer. The patient presented with persistent cervical pain. Radiologic examinations showed the presence of a lytic lesion of C3 vertebral body, associated with spinal cord compression. A CT scan of the thorax showed a lung nodule highly suspicious for malignancy in the apical region of right lung upper lobe. Neurosurgical decompression was performed. Unexpectedly, histological analysis showed the presence of an inflammatory infiltrate suggestive for TB infection. The patient was immediately treated with antituberculous drugs. Atypical forms of spinal TB, such as cervical TB, can be misdiagnosed as primary or metastatic cancers and lead to delay of treatment initiation that could be fatal. Awareness of this uncommon TB presentation is important to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with spinal cord injury and disease dissemination
Low-Dose Cerivastatin Inhibits Spontaneous Atherogenesis in Heterozygous Watanabe Hyper lipidemic Rabbits
Lipoprotein remnants and dense LDL are associated with features of unstable carotid plaque: A flag for non-HDL-C
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between cholesterol across the LDL density range and in the VLDL and IDL particles with the prevalence of inflammatory cells in plaques of patients with severe carotid artery stenosis.
METHODS: Forty-five patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were studied. Plaque specimens were analyzed for cellular composition by immunocytochemistry using monoclonal antibodies. Lipoprotein subclasses were separated by gradient ultracentrifugation.
RESULTS: We found no correlations between LDL-C, HDL-C and plasma triglyceride levels with plaque cellular composition. On the other hand, macrophage content was significantly related to cholesterol in the dense LDL subclasses (r = 0.30, p < 0.01) and in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, namely dense VLDL and IDL particles (r = 0.46, p < 0.01). HDL subclasses were not correlated with plaque cellular composition. In a mirror manner, smooth muscle cells were inversely associated with cholesterol levels of the dense LDL subclasses (r = -0.32, p < 0.01 fraction 10; r = -0.26, p < 0.05 fraction 11) while only a non-significant trend was observed with the cholesterol in the VLDL-IDL fractions. These results provide the pathophysiological background to account for the relevance of non-HDL-C as the only lipid parameter, aside LDL density, significantly associated (\u3b2 = 0.351, p = 0.021) with carotid plaque macrophage content.
CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence that lipoprotein subclasses, specifically cholesterol in the dense LDL fractions and in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, significantly affect carotid plaque cellular composition, in particular macrophages content
Statin treatment and carotid plaque composition. Review of clinical studies.
none5The impact on cardiovascular events achieved by statin therapy seems to be mostly attributable to their cholesterol-lowering effect, with a highly debated contribution of the lipid-independent pleiotropic effects. Statins have an established role in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia with a clear and robust reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, the pathophysiologic effect of statins on inflammatory responses and local atherosclerotic plaque morphology in humans remains a matter of debate. In particular, the question remains whether statin-induced alterations in plaque composition can be ascribed mainly to low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering or an anti-inflammatory pleiotropic effect, or both. This review summarizes the available evidence of the effects of statins on carotid plaque cellular composition in clinical settings, focusing on lipid-related and lipid-independent effects of statin therapy. A systematic review of the web online databases was performed. Studies in humans evaluating the effect of statins on composition of carotid plaque removed at endarterectomy were eligible for inclusion. Data support the view that plaque composition even after a short-term lipid lowering therapy is significantly modulated by the degree of LDL-C lowering. A contribution of LDL-C independent, anti-inflammatory mechanisms of statins on plaque stability is only suggested by some of the studies. Actually, data strongly support the current guidelines based on progressively lower LDL-C targets depending upon the cardiovascular risk of individual patients.mixedPuato M;Zambon A;Faggin E;Rattazzi M;Pauletto PPuato, M; Zambon, Alberto; Faggin, Elisabetta; Rattazzi, Marcello; Pauletto, Paol
Vascular remodelling in well-controlled hypertensive patients: the challenge of residual risk management
Residual cardiovascular risk (RCVR) is an emerging issue in the clinical and therapeutic management of patients affected by hypertension. In fact, a number of clinical studies showed that even in case of optimal blood pressure (BP) control, the hypertensive patients still carry a sizeable increase in the CV risk as compared to normotensive individuals
[PP.09.19] LONG-TERM WELL-CONTROLLED BLOOD PRESSURE LEVELS AND CAROTID ELASTICITY IN YOUNG HYPERTENSIVE SUBJECTS
An Unusual Case of Fibromuscular Dysplasia with Bilateral Renal Macroaneurysms: Three-year Outcome After Endovascular Treatment
Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an idiopathic, segmental, non-inflammatory and non-atherosclerotic disease that affects arterial walls, leading to stenosis of small and medium-sized arteries. FMD mostly involves renal and intracranial arteries and only in few patients is associated with macroaneurysms (RAAs). We present the case of a 45-years old woman with recent history of grade 2 hypertension that suffered of subarachnoid haemorrhage due to rupture of a basilar artery aneurysm. The cerebral aneurysm was immediately treated by coil embolization and an abdominal angio-CT scan was performed to investigate the presence of renovascular hypertension. The exam showed the presence of FMD of the renal arteries associated with presence of bilateral RAAs. Due to the high risk of rupture, the bigger aneurysm (2,5 cm diameter) present on the left artery was immediately treated by coil embolization. The fusiform aneurysm, present on the right renal artery, was instead treated one year later by using two flow diverter stents. After three years, an angiographic study showed that both cerebral and renal aneurysms were excluded from the blood flow without evidence of arterial restenosis