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The "2024 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/APMA/ABC/SCAI/SVM/SVN/SVS/SIR/VESS Guideline for the Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, chronic symptomatic, chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and acute limb ischemia). A comprehensive literature search was conducted from October 2020 to June 2022, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that was published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through May 2023 during the peer review process, were also considered by the writing committee and added to the evidence tables where appropriate. Recommendations from the "2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Patients With Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease" have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with peripheral artery disease have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular disease is a significant cause of illness and death in the United States, but the field of vascular medicine lacks recognition as a certified specialty. Despite efforts to establish vascular medicine as a distinct field, it has not yet been recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or accredited by the American College of Graduate Medical Education. However, the Society for Vascular Medicine has made progress in standardizing knowledge and certification in the field. Several studies published in Vascular Medicine demonstrate the value of vascular medicine specialists in providing guideline-recommended therapies, improving patient outcomes, and collaborating with other specialists. The journal is now calling for more papers to further demonstrate the value of vascular medicine in practice. The SVM Vascular Medicine Subspecialty Recognition Taskforce continues to work towards achieving recognition for vascular medicine as a subspecialty. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the importance of recognizing and addressing rare vascular diseases. The National Organization of Rare Diseases estimates that millions of Americans and individuals worldwide are affected by rare diseases, including rare vascular diseases. The author, a physician specializing in fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), emphasizes the need for quality medical care and research for patients with rare vascular diseases. The article highlights the role of vascular medicine specialists in raising awareness and conducting research on these conditions. The special issue of Vascular Medicine includes articles on various rare vascular diseases, providing up-to-date information on their management and potential new approaches. The author acknowledges that there is still much work to be done in this field, but assures patients that there is a community of clinicians and researchers dedicated to finding answers and cures for rare vascular diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Diagnostic criteria to classify severity of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis vary across vascular laboratories. Consensus-based criteria, proposed by the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound in 2003 (SRUCC), have been broadly implemented but have not been adequately validated. We conducted a multicentered, retrospective correlative imaging study of duplex ultrasound versus catheter angiography for evaluation of severity of ICA stenosis. Velocity data were abstracted from bilateral duplex studies performed between 1/1/2009 and 12/31/2015 and studies were interpreted using SRUCC. Percentage ICA stenosis was determined using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) methodology. Receiver operating characteristic analysis evaluated the performance of SRUCC parameters compared with angiography. Of 448 ICA sides (from 224 patients), 299 ICA sides (from 167 patients) were included. Agreement between duplex ultrasound and angiography was moderate (κ = 0.42), with overestimation of degree of stenosis for both moderate (50–69%) and severe (⩾ 70%) ICA lesions. The primary SRUCC parameter for ⩾ 50% ICA stenosis of peak-systolic velocity (PSV) of ⩾ 125 cm/sec did not meet prespecified thresholds for adequate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (sensitivity 97.8%, specificity 64.2%, accuracy 74.5%). Test performance was improved by raising the PSV threshold to ⩾ 180 cm/sec (sensitivity 93.3%, specificity 81.6%, accuracy 85.2%) or by adding the additional parameter of ICA/common carotid artery (CCA) PSV ratio ⩾ 2.0 (sensitivity 94.3%, specificity 84.3%, accuracy 87.4%). For ⩾ 70% ICA stenosis, analysis was limited by a low number of cases with angiographically severe disease. Interpretation of carotid duplex examinations using SRUCC resulted in significant overestimation of severity of ICA stenosis when compared with angiography; raising the PSV threshold for ⩾ 50% ICA stenosis to ⩾ 180 cm/sec as a single parameter or requiring the ICA/CCA PSV ratio ⩾ 2.0 in addition to PSV of ⩾ 125 cm/sec for laboratories using the SRUCC is recommended to improve the accuracy of carotid duplex examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the above recommendation, Feldbaum and colleagues[1] show that comprehensive screening for EVAs even in a tertiary academic medical center, is abysmal, with less than 20% of patients with SCAD undergoing comprehensive screening. Keywords: cardiovascular disease; coronary artery disease; spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) EN cardiovascular disease coronary artery disease spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) 139 140 2 04/12/23 20230401 NES 230401 Commentary on: Feldbaum E, Thompson EW, Cook TS, et al. [Extracted from the article]

This article is a comprehensive document on the diagnosis and management of fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), which was commissioned by the working group 'Hypertension and the Kidney' of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM). This document updates previous consensus documents/scientific statements on FMD published in 2014 with full harmonization of the position of European and US experts. In addition to practical consensus-based clinical recommendations, including a consensus protocol for catheter-based angiography and percutaneous angioplasty for renal FMD, the document also includes the first analysis of the European/International FMD Registry and provides updated data from the US Registry for FMD. Finally, it provides insights on ongoing research programs and proposes future research directions for understanding this multifaceted arterial disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an interview with the Heather Gornik, president at the Society for Vascular Medicine. Topics discussed include information on the fundamental aspect of SVM is the education of the next generation of vascular specialists; discussions on the how the society using social media to communicate with current members and connect with earlier career members; and the information on the patient care and education as the focus of the society.

The article presents a speech by president of Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) Heather L Gornik delivered at the 29th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Vascular Medicine meeting in Chicago, Illinois on June 15, 2018. It mentions information on his cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital. It also mentions the efforts of Past-President Michael Bacharach for fundraising on behalf of SVM.

I spoke about my journey within the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) over the past 15 years and the familial connection I (like so many of you) have with this organization. Similarly, when asked how SVM can further support you and your career goals, ABMS subspecialty recognition was the number one theme, again followed by efforts to increase subspecialty awareness. During the past year, SVM has closely partnered the ABVM to explore opportunities to pursue recognition of our subspecialty and our training programs. At the business meeting this morning, I passed our new SVM gavel to my friend, Dr Raghu Kolluri, who I know will find creative new ways to help us progress beyond our current challenges. [Extracted from the article]

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the 28th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) held on June 14–17, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Topics discussed include a session on sex differences in vascular disease; Bruce Gray, who won the Jess R. Young Outstanding Vascular Medicine Educator Award; and Herbert D. Aronow, who was elected the Secretary of the Society at the event.

The article offers information on the "2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Patients with Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease" that emphasizes awareness and recognition of peripheral artery disease (PAD). It mentions role of the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) in guideline development and review. It also discusses effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy in PAD; and controversies related to aspirin.

The article discusses how practice guidelines offer recommendations applicable to patients with or at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) sponsor the guidelines without commercial support, and members volunteer their time. The Task Force zealously avoids actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that might arise through relationships with industry or other entities (RWI).

The article reports that managing patients with multiple conditions can be complex, especially when recommendations applicable to coexisting illnesses are discordant or interacting. Management in accordance with guideline recommendations is effective only when followed. Adherence to recommendations can be enhanced by shared decision making between clinicians and patients, with patient engagement in selecting interventions on the basis of individual values, and preferences.

The article discusses Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) 27th Scientific Sessions held from June 15-18, 2016 in Long Beach, California and presents related photographs. Topics discussed include updates in venous thromboembolism, vascular disorders and translational science, Fellows Course of SVM on vascular medicine, travel grant awarded by the society to scholars; including Aaron Aday and Vascular Laboratory program on cerebrovascular and arterial related research.

Background: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a noninflammatory arterial disease that predominantly affects women. The arterial manifestations may include beading, stenosis, aneurysm, dissection, or tortuosity.Objectives: This study compared the frequency, location, and outcomes of FMD patients with aneurysm and/or dissection to those of patients without.Methods: The U.S. Registry for FMD involves 12 clinical centers. This analysis included clinical history, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedure results for 921 FMD patients enrolled in the registry as of October 17, 2014.Results: Aneurysm occurred in 200 patients (21.7%) and dissection in 237 patients (25.7%); in total, 384 patients (41.7%) had an aneurysm and/or a dissection by the time of FMD diagnosis. The extracranial carotid, renal, and intracranial arteries were the most common sites of aneurysm; dissection most often occurred in the extracranial carotid, vertebral, renal, and coronary arteries. FMD patients with dissection were younger at presentation (48.4 vs. 53.5 years of age, respectively; p < 0.0001) and experienced more neurological symptoms and other end-organ ischemic events than those without dissection. One-third of aneurysm patients (63 of 200) underwent therapeutic intervention for aneurysm repair.Conclusions: Patients with FMD have a high prevalence of aneurysm and/or dissection prior to or at the time of FMD diagnosis. Patients with dissection were more likely to experience ischemic events, and a significant number of patients with dissection or aneurysm underwent therapeutic procedures for these vascular events. Because of the high prevalence and associated morbidity in patients with FMD who have an aneurysm and/or dissection, it is recommended that every patient with FMD undergo one-time cross-sectional imaging from head to pelvis with computed tomographic angiography or magnetic resonance angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the COCATS 4 Task Force 9, which is a training designed for vascular medicine. Topics discussed include an overview of cardiovascular physicians, the guidelines and requirements for vascular medicine training, the several levels of the training, and the developments and evaluation of core competencies.

BACKGROUND: Whether carotid artery stenosis predicts stroke after noncardiac surgery remains unknown. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that degree of carotid artery stenosis is associated with in-hospital stroke or 30-day all-cause mortality after noncardiac surgery. As carotid artery stenosis is also a marker for cardiovascular disease, our secondary hypothesis was that degree of carotid artery stenosis is associated with postoperative myocardial injury. METHODS: We included adults who had noncardiac, noncarotid surgery at Cleveland Clinic from 2007 to 2011 and had carotid duplex ultrasound performed either within 6 months before or 1 month after surgery. Internal carotid artery peak systolic velocity (ICA PSV) was used as a measure of carotid artery stenosis severity. A multivariate (i.e., multiple outcomes per patient) generalized estimating equation model was used to assess the association between highest ICA PSV and the composite of stroke and 30-day mortality after adjusting for predefined potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: Of 2,110 patients included, 112 (5.3%) died within 30 days and 54 (2.6%) suffered postoperative in-hospital stroke. ICA PSV was not associated with this composite outcome (odds ratio of 1.0 [95% confidence interval: 0.99, 1.02] for a 10-unit increase, P = 0.55). ICA PSV was also not associated with postoperative myocardial injury (odds ratio 1.00 [0.99, 1.02], P = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: This cohort represents a high-risk population, as carotid duplex examinations were likely prompted by neurological symptoms. There was nonetheless no association between carotid artery stenosis and perioperative stroke or 30-day mortality after noncardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a scientific statement from the American Heart Association about fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a nonatherosclerotic, noninflammatory vascular disease that may lead to arterial stenosis, occlusion, aneurysm, or dissection. Topics include an historical perspective on FMD, the prevalence of FMD, and genetic considerations. Histopathological classifications for FMD and clinical manifestations of FMD are also mentioned.

The article describes the case of a 26-year-old woman presented with progressive swelling and pain of the left leg after switching to a different oral contraceptive preparation. Topics discussed include the components of the lower-extremity venous duplex (VDUS) examination to assess for acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT), the acuity of DVT, and the evaluation of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) on outcomes after open-heart surgery (OHS). Background: Acute kidney injury after OHS portends significant morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data from all adult patients undergoing OHS from January 2000 to April 2010 who underwent renal duplex ultrasound were prospectively collected. ARAS was severe (60% to 99% stenosis) if peak systolic velocity was >200 cm/s. The associations between ARAS and post-operative reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), need for renal replacement therapy, length of stay, and overall short-term and long-term mortality (up to 8 years) were tested using multivariate time-to-event adjusted analysis. Results: A total of 714 patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 67 ± 12 years (63% men) and a mean GFR of 52 ± 25.9 ml/min/1.73 m2. A total of 206 (29%) had ARAS; of these, 79% (n = 163) had unilateral and 21% (n = 43) had bilateral ARAS. ARAS was associated with peripheral artery disease (p = 0.004) and lower high-density lipoprotein levels (p = 0.04). Patients with advanced age (p = 0.01) and descending aorta grafting (p = 0.004) had significant post-operative reductions in GFR. Adjusted models showed a nonsignificant trend between ARAS and reduction in GFR (p = 0.09). ARAS was not associated with need for renal replacement therapy (p = 0.4), longer length of stay (p = 0.7), or mortality (p = 0.7), but low pre-operative GFR was a strong predictor of long-term mortality. Conclusions: ARAS does not appear to be associated with post-operative change in GFR, need for hemodialysis, longer length of stay, or mortality in patients undergoing OHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vascular endothelium is a crucial regulator of vascular function and homeostasis. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important paracrine substance released by the endothelium to regulate vasomotor tone. Risk factors for atherosclerosis, as well as atherosclerosis per se, are associated with endothelial dysfunction and decreased bioavailablilty of NO. Indeed, endothelial dysfunction is integral to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction relates to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. L-Arginine is an essential amino acid required by the constitutive enzyme, endothelial NO oxide synthase (eNOS), to produce NO. Administration of L-arginine improves endothelial function in animal models and in humans with hypercholesterolemia and with atherosclerosis. Clinical trials to date support potential clinical applications of L-arginine in the treatment of coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease, as well as in the prevention of in-stent restenosis. The mechanism of benefit of L-arginine on endothelial function is unclear, because intracellular concentrations of L-arginine far exceed that required by eNOS. One potential explanation of this ‘arginine paradox’ is that L-arginine restores endothelial function in atherosclerotic patients, in whom there are elevated levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of eNOS. Given the promising findings of early studies of L-arginine as a potential therapy for cardiovascular disorders, large-scale clinical trials are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a nonatherosclerotic cause of myocardial infarction. Migraine headache has been reported to be common among patients with SCAD, but the degree of migraine-related disability has not been quantified. Methods: Clinical data and headache variables were obtained from the baseline assessment of the prospective, multicenter iSCAD Registry. Migraine-related disability was quantified using the self-reported Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS). Demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and medical characteristics from data entry forms were compared between patients with and without migraine. Results: Of the 773 patients with available data, 46% reported previous or current migraines. Those with migraines were more likely to be women (96.9% vs 90.3%, p = 0.0003). The presence of underlying carotid fibromuscular dysplasia was associated with migraine (35% vs 27%, p = 0.0175). There was not a significant association with carotid artery dissection and migraine. Current migraine frequency was less than monthly (58%), monthly (24%), weekly (16%), and daily (3%). Triptan use was reported in 32.5% of patients, and 17.5% used daily migraine prophylactic medications. Using the MIDAS to quantify disability related to migraine, 60.2% reported little or no disability, 14.4% mild, 12.7% moderate, and 12.7% severe. The mean MIDAS score was 9.9 (mild to moderate disability). Patients with SCAD had higher rates of depression and anxiety (28.2% vs 17.7% [ p = 0.0004] and 35.3% vs 26.7% [ p = 0.0099], respectively). Conclusions: Migraines are common, frequent, and a source of disability in patients with SCAD. The association between female sex, anxiety, and depression may provide some insight for potential treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses updates of the journal. He provides overview of the history of the journal such as the changes of its name to reflect its focus as medical and cardiovascular periodical. The author also expresses thanks to the authors of the journal who have made significant contributions on various researches, and shares his plan for the journal for its continued service.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-atherosclerotic vascular disease that may involve medium-sized muscular arteries throughout the body. The majority of FMD patients are women. Although a variety of genetic, mechanical, and hormonal factors play a role in the pathogenesis of FMD, overall, its cause remains poorly understood. It is probable that the pathogenesis of FMD is linked to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Extensive studies have correlated the arterial lesions of FMD to histopathological findings of arterial fibrosis, cellular hyperplasia, and distortion of the abnormal architecture of the arterial wall. More recently, the vascular phenotype of lesions associated with FMD has been expanded to include arterial aneurysms, dissections, and tortuosity. However, in the absence of a string-of-beads or focal stenosis, these lesions do not suffice to establish the diagnosis. While FMD most commonly involves renal and cerebrovascular arteries, involvement of most arteries throughout the body has been reported. Increasing evidence highlights that FMD is a systemic arterial disease and that subclinical alterations can be found in non-affected arterial segments. Recent significant progress in FMD-related research has led to improve our understanding of the disease's clinical manifestations, natural history, epidemiology, and genetics. Ongoing work continues to focus on FMD genetics and proteomics, physiological effects of FMD on cardiovascular structure and function, and novel imaging modalities and blood-based biomarkers that can be used to identify subclinical FMD. It is also hoped that the next decade will bring the development of multi-centred and potentially international clinical trials to provide comparative effectiveness data to inform the optimal management of patients with FMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents various images of an acute aortic intramural hematoma presented by a 77 year-old woman with severe intrascapular back pain. Computed tomogram of the chest reveals an extensive atherosclerosis and an acute Type B intramural hematoma of the thoracic aorta. Abdominal duplex ultrasound likewise shows elevated peak systolic velocities (PSV) in the patient's renal arteries. Moreover, the presence of severe bilateral renal artery stenosis was confirmed through angiography.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the insights of former Society for Vascular Medicine's (SVM's) presidents, the American Board of Vascular Medicine's leadership, and a study on varicose veins.

Patient advocacy groups provide physicians with a unique perspective of what is important to patients and a platform to allow patients to participate in improving care. Over the past few decades, there has been a wider recognition of peripheral vascular disease as a unique set of disease processes that affect a larger population of patients than initially appreciated. Finally, crowdsourcing, where patients can submit their own data and samples, is a unique way to increase patient recruitment and participation, and is an underutilized method for patient recruitment and participation. Most patients presenting with AAD aneurysm do so at sizes below prophylactic guidelines for aneurysm repair, with ascending diameters < 5.0 cm in 40% of Type A patients, and descending diameters < 5.5 cm in 81.6% of Type B patients. [Extracted from the article]

Prior studies have assessed the prognostic value of a decrease, not an increase, of the post-exercise ankle-brachial index (ABI) among patients with normal resting results. Thus, we sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of an increase in post-exercise ABI among these patients. From a single center vascular laboratory database between September 2005 and January 2010, we retrospectively identified 1437 consecutive patients with a normal resting ABI (1.00-1.40) and available post-exercise results. We classified them into group 1 (normal subjects; post-exercise ABI drop > 20%, 58%) and group 2 (post-exercise ABI increase, 42%) after excluding those with an ABI drop > 20% (peripheral artery disease) as they had known disease (n=192). The primary outcome was to assess the risk of ischemic events, defined as a composite of unadjudicated death, stroke, or myocardial infraction (MACE). Associations between groups and outcomes were examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazard and propensity analyses. Both groups had similar prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities. In unadjusted analysis, group 2 was more likely to have MACE (p = 0.001). After adjusting for all baseline characteristics, an increase in post-exercise ABI compared to normal subjects was associated with a higher MACE (adjusted HR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.14-2.53; p=0.009). This association stayed statistically significant after propensity matching (adjusted HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.17-2.76; p=0.007). This hypothesis-generating analysis showed that an increase in post-exercise ABI appears to identify a population with a higher risk for MACE. A prospective study of this association and mechanisms of risk should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We previously described a strong association between fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Angiographic manifestations of coronary FMD aside from dissection were considered rare. However, we observed several coronary FMD angiographic abnormalities with corresponding optical coherence tomography abnormalities. Methods and Results: Baseline demographics and imaging of patients with suspected coronary FMD at Vancouver General Hospital were reviewed. Presence of multifocal (string-of-beads) extracoronary FMD was confirmed by 2 specialists. In these patients, coronary angiographic findings (excluding dissected segments) were reviewed and classified by 2 experienced angiographers for irregular stenosis, that is, stenosis with irregular borders in a focal or diffuse pattern with/without systolic accentuation; smooth stenosis, diffuse or focal; segmental dilatation/ectasia; and tortuosity. Optical coherence tomography was performed in a subset of patients. Of 32 patients with extracoronary FMD and suspected coronary involvement, 28 were women (88%), and their mean age was 59.4±9.9 years. Nineteen presented with myocardial infarction (13 caused by spontaneous coronary artery dissection), and 13 had stable symptoms. The observed coronary angiographic abnormalities included tortuosity in all cases (91% were moderate to severe), irregular stenosis in 59%, smooth stenosis in 19%, and segmental dilatation/ectasia in 56%. Fifteen patients had optical coherence tomography of the abnormal segments showing abnormalities, including multiple areas of patchy or diffuse intimal, medial or adventitial abnormalities with thickening/accumulation of varied reflectivities, macrophage infiltration, loss/duplication of elastic membranes, and cavitation. Conclusions: This is the first case series describing findings suggestive of angiographic and intracoronary manifestations of coronary FMD. Future studies should prospectively review these features in patients with extracoronary FMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An author's response to a letter to the editor about an article by Bailar and Gornik concerning cancer diagnosis and treatment that appeared in the May 29, 1997 issue is presented.

Background: Despite decades of basic and clinical research and trials of promising new therapies, cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We assessed overall progress against cancer in the United States from 1970 through 1994 by analyzing changes in age-adjusted mortality rates. Methods: We obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics data on all deaths from cancer and from cancer at specific sites, as well as on deaths due to cancer according to age, race, and sex, for the years 1970 through 1994. We computed age-specific mortality rates and adjusted them to the age distribution of the U.S. population in 1990. Results: Age-adjusted mortality due to cancer in 1994 (200.9 per 100,000 population) was 6.0 percent higher than the rate in 1970 (189.6 per 100,000). After decades of steady increases, the age-adjusted mortality due to all malignant neoplasms plateaued, then decreased by 1.0 percent from 1991 to 1994. The decline in mortality due to cancer was greatest among black males and among persons under 55 years of age. Mortality among white males 55 or older has also declined recently. These trends reflect a combination of changes in death rates from specific types of cancer, with important declines due to reduced cigarette smoking and improved screening and a mixture of increases and decreases in the incidence of types of cancer not closely related to tobacco use. Conclusions: The war against cancer is far from over. Observed changes in mortality due to cancer primarily reflect changing incidence or early detection. The effect of new treatments for cancer on mortality has been largely disappointing. The most promising approach to the control of cancer is a national commitment to prevention, with a concomitant rebalancing of the focus and funding of research. (N Engl J Med 1997;336:1569-74.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Fibromuscular dysplasia ( FMD) is an uncommon vascular disease that presents with stenosis, aneurysm, dissection, beading, and tortuosity of medium-sized arteries. It primarily manifests in the renal and extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries, and is associated with major vascular events such as carotid artery dissection, renal artery dissection, ruptured aneurysm, transient ischemic attack, stroke, and myocardial infarction (due to coronary artery dissection). Discussion There is a wide spectrum of disease severity among FMD patients. Symptoms of FMD are related to the vascular beds involved and the severity of arterial stenoses. Headache is an extremely common and important symptom reported by patients with FMD, although the precise mechanism of headache in this population is not yet known. Conclusion This review summarizes the most recent literature regarding FMD, including epidemiology, clinical manifestations, imaging practices, and treatment. Special attention will be paid to the association of headaches and FMD. Correct diagnosis, optimal medical management, and appropriate referral for vascular intervention are vital elements of the treatment of patients with FMD. There is a great need for more clinical research regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and optimal treatment of headache in the FMD patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]