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Magdalena Jachymek,1 Łukasz Wójcik,2 Małgorzata Peregud-Pogorzelska,1 Miłosz Parczewski,3 Aneta Dembowska,3 Bogusz Jan Aksak-Wąs3 1Department of Cardiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, 70-111, Poland; 2Department of Radiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, 70-111, Poland; 3Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, 71-455, PolandCorrespondence: Bogusz Jan Aksak-Wąs, Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, 71-455, Poland, Email bogusz.aksak.was@pum.edu.plPurpose: People living with HIV are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and myocardial infarction related to atherosclerosis than the uninfected population. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in a young, mid-eastern European population of PLWH receiving ART for undetectable viremia.Patients and Methods: This was a single-centre study. We included 34 patients below 50 years old, treated in Szczecin, Poland, with confirmed HIV-1 infection, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and undetectable viremia. All patients underwent coronary artery computed tomography (CACT), carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) evaluation, and echocardiography.Results: In the primary assessment, only two (5.8%) patients had an increased CVD risk calculated using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), but we identified coronary or carotid plaques in 26.5% of the patients. Neither traditional risk factors nor those associated with HIV significantly influenced the presence of the plaque. IMT was significantly positively correlated with age and the FRS (R=0.38, p=0.04). Relative wall thickness assessed in echocardiography was higher in those with plaque (0.49 vs 0.44, p=0.04) and significantly correlated with IMT (R=0.38, p=0.04).Conclusion: In our population, more than a quarter of PLWH with undetectable viremia had subclinical atherosclerosis in either the coronary or carotid arteries. The FRS underpredicted atherosclerosis in this population. The role of RWT as a possible early marker of atherosclerosis needs further studies.Keywords: cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, coronary artery computed tomography, intima media thickness, people living with human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract Background This study aims to analyze the efficacy of metformin on carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods A literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2023 was conducted. Then, after studies selection and data extraction, the mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate metformin efficacy in CIMT and FMD for PCOS patients. Heterogeneity was investigated through subgroup and sensitivity analysis. The protocol of our study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024497239). Results A total of 12 studies with 248 patients were included. CIMT was lower in the endpoint group (after metformin) compared with the baseline group (before metformin) (MD = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.21 to -0.01, p = 0.04). FMD was higher in the endpoint group compared with the baseline group (MD = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.85 to 4.66, p

Abstract Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and CV mortality. Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis is independently associated with rates of incident CV events among patients with RA. The complement system has been related to both the etiopathogenesis of RA and CV disease. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between a comprehensive assessment of the complement system and carotid intima media thickness and carotid plaque in patients with RA. Methods 430 patients with RA were recruited. Functional assays of the three pathways of the complement system, utilizing new-generation techniques, were assessed. Additionally, serum levels of individual components of the complement system belonging to the three pathways were measured: C1q (classical), lectin (lectin), C2, C4, and C4b (classical and lectin), factor D and properdin (alternative), C3 and C3a (common), C5, C5a, and C9 (terminal), as well as regulators factor I and C1-inhibitor. Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated by ultrasonography. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between the complement system and carotid intima media thickness and carotid plaque. Results After multivariable adjustment, which included traditional CV risk factors and disease-related data, C3a and C5a exhibited significant positive correlations with carotid intima media thickness. Additionally, higher values of C1-inhibitor, properdin, C3, C5, and C5a were independently associated with the presence of carotid plaque. Conclusion The complement system and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis are linked in patients with RA.

Background: This study aims to analyze the efficacy of metformin on carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2023 was conducted. Then, after studies selection and data extraction, the mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate metformin efficacy in CIMT and FMD for PCOS patients. Heterogeneity was investigated through subgroup and sensitivity analysis. The protocol of our study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024497239). Results: A total of 12 studies with 248 patients were included. CIMT was lower in the endpoint group (after metformin) compared with the baseline group (before metformin) (MD = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.21 to -0.01, p = 0.04). FMD was higher in the endpoint group compared with the baseline group (MD = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.85 to 4.66, p < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was observed in nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD) between the two groups (MD = 0.65, p = 0.51). Subgroup analysis showed that a relatively lower MD of CIMT in PCOS patients from Europe in the endpoint group compared with the baseline group (MD = -0.09, 95% CI = -0.14 to -0.04, p < 0.001). However, the MD in CIMT was not significantly different between the endpoint group and baseline group in PCOS patients from Asia (p = 0.270). Conclusion: Metformin may have a beneficial effect on CIMT and FMD, but not on NMD, suggesting that metformin may help reduce cardiovascular events in PCOS patients. Notably, the clinical efficacy of metformin can be influenced by regional differences and study types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cumulative LDL-C exposure, calculated by age × LDL-C, had significant negative correlations with FMD value and NID value and significant positive correlations with mean CCA-IMT and maximum CCA-IMT in subjects not being treated with lipid-lowering drugs. • Endothelial dysfunction was found to be induced by cumulative LDL-C exposure of >4000 mg·year/dL, vascular smooth muscle damage >5000 mg·year/dL, and increase in IMT and plaque formation ≥6000 mg·year/dL. • Cumulative LDL-C calculated by age × LDL-C is useful for assessing the progression of atherosclerosis. The relationship between cumulative low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) exposure and progression of atherosclerosis remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between cumulative LDL-C level and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID) and the presence of plaque in the common carotid artery (CCA). This was a cross-sectional study. We measured FMD in 8208 subjects, NID in 1822 subjects, and CCA plaque in 591 subjects who were not taking lipid-lowering drugs. The subjects were divided into four groups based on cumulative LDL-C exposure: <4000 mg·year/dL, 4000–4999 mg·year/dL, 5000–5999 mg·year/dL, and ≥6000 mg·year/dL. The odds ratio of the lower quartile of FMD in the cholesterol-year-score <4000 mg·year/dL group was significantly higher than the odds ratios in the other groups. The odds ratio of the lower quartile of NID in the <4000 mg·year/dL group was significantly higher than the odds ratios in the 5000–5999 mg·year/dL and ≥6000 mg·year/dL groups. The odds ratio of the prevalence of CCA plaque in the <4000 mg·year/dL group was significantly higher than that in the ≥6000 mg·year/dL group. Endothelial dysfunction occurred from cumulative LDL-C exposure of 4000 mg·year/dL, vascular smooth muscle dysfunction occurred from cumulative LDL-C exposure of 5000 mg·year/dL, and prevalence of CCA plaque occurred from cumulative LDL-C exposure of 6000 mg·year/dL. http://www.umin.ac.jp (UMIN000012950, UMIN000012951, and UMIN000012952, UMIN000003409) [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) shows considerable heterogeneity both in generally healthy persons and in those with known ASCVD. The foundation of preventive cardiology begins with assessing baseline ASCVD risk using global risk scores based on standard office-based measures. Persons at low risk are generally recommended for lifestyle management only and those at highest risk are recommended for both lifestyle and pharmacologic therapy. Additional "risk enhancing" factors, including both traditional risk factors and novel biomarkers and inflammatory factors can be used to further assess ASCVD risk, especially in those at borderline or intermediate risk. There are also female-specific risk enhancers, social determinants of health, and considerations for high-risk ethnic groups. Screening for subclinical atherosclerosis, especially with the use of coronary calcium screening, can further inform the treatment decision if uncertain based on the above strategies. Persons with pre-existing ASCVD also have variable risk, affected by the number of major ASCVD events, whether recurrent events have occurred recently, and the presence of other major risk factors or high-risk conditions. Current guidelines define high to very high risk ASCVD accordingly. Accurate ASCVD risk assessment is crucial for the appropriate targeting of preventive therapies to reduce ASCVD risk. Finally, the clinician-patient risk discussion focusing on lifestyle management and the risks and benefits of evidence-based pharmacologic therapies to best lower ASCVD risk is central to this process. This clinical practice statement provides the preventive cardiology specialist with guidance and tools for assessment of ASCVD risk with the goal of appropriately targeting treatment approaches for prevention of ASCVD events.

To evaluate the intima media thickness of carotid arteries (IMT) and its clinical, laboratory and treatment correlates in Behcet's disease (BD). Systematic search of EMBASE and PubMed databases from January 2016 to October 2022; we employed random effect meta-analyses for continuous outcomes and Peto's odds ratio for rare events. The meta-analysis included 36 case control studies: the IMT was greater in BD (n = 1103) than in controls (n = 832) (p < 0.0001) with wide heterogeneity (I2 = 86.9%); a sensitivity analysis that included mean age of BD participants, gender, disease duration and activity, atherogenic index of plasma, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, ethnicity, smoking status, anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive agents, revealed that male gender, mean age of participants and azathioprine use (the latter two in inverse fashion) partly explained the heterogeneity variance (p = 0.02, p = 0.005, and p = 0.01). The IMT was greater in vascular (n = 114) than in non-vascular BD (n = 214) (p = 0.006). BD patients (n = 782) had a greater pooled prevalence of carotid plaques than controls (n = 537) (13.1% vs. 2.97%, p < 0.0001). Subclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis represents a vascular feature of BD, independently of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The inverse correlations between IMT, age and azathioprine use suggest that thicker carotid arteries at disease onset eventually regress with immune suppressive treatment: this assumption needs verification on adequately designed clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke is the most important cause of mortality and morbidity. Carotid artery disease is the leading cause of ischemic stroke. Carotid intima-media thickness can be used as an important tool for severity of atherosclerosis. This study revised the usefulness of carotid Doppler as a useful tool for stroke. Aim and Objective: (1) To assess the prevalence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (extra cranial) in high-risk individuals of the North-East Indian region (2) To find out the relationship of underlying disease with the severity of carotid artery stenosis. Methods: It was a prospective, cross-sectional study. The patients attending the department of general medicine, endocrinology, and cardiology were studied. Carotid duplex ultrasound was used to evaluate carotid arteries on 100 individuals having high risk factors such as age more than 40 years, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease for atherosclerotic diseases. Results: The age range was 40–79 years. Forty-four percent participants had carotid artery diseases of which 6% had significant carotid artery stenosis. In our study, established risk factors for atherosclerosis as advancing age >60 years, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were not significantly associated with severe carotid artery stenosis. Conclusion: In this study, established independent risk factors for atherosclerosis were not statistically significant in causing severe carotid artery stenosis. This result may be due to the small study population. However, it is suggested to do study on large populations to establish or to rule out the association of significant carotid stenosis with established risk factors of atherosclerosis.

Though insulin resistance (IR) was previously considered a feature of only type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), its development in type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) is not an uncommon occurrence, the causes of which are multifactorial (gender, pubertal status, diabetes duration, ethnicity, genetics, adiposity, glycemic control, chronic inflammation). Despite improvements in glucose, blood pressure and lipid profile, vascular complications (coronary artery disease and nephropathy) continue to remain common causes of morbidity and mortality in T1DM. Aggressive glycemic control reduces but does not eliminate the risk of IR. IR accelerates the development of micro and macrovascular complications, many of which can be potentially reversed if diagnosed and managed early. Lack of endogenous insulin production makes estimation of insulin sensitivity in T1DM difficult. As hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies are cumbersome and invasive, the use of prediction equations for calculating estimated insulin sensitivity may prove to be useful. Along with intensive insulin therapy, dietary modifications and increasing physical activity, the role of Metformin in managing IR in T1DM is becoming increasingly popular. Metformin adjunct therapy in T1DM has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, lipid profile, body composition, vascular smooth muscle function, thereby reducing the risk of vascular complications, as well as reversal of early vascular dysfunction. However, further studies to assess long-term efficacy and safety of Metformin use in adolescents and youth with T1DM are needed. This review aims at revisiting the pathophysiology of IR in T1DM and techniques of identifying those at risk so as to put into action various strategies for management of the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cigarette smoking could induce endothelial dysfunction and the increase of circulating markers of inflammation by activation of monocytes. This can lead to increased intima media thickness (IMT) of entire blood vessels and result in acceleration of the atherosclerosis process. However, to our knowledge, little is known about the role of cigarette smoking in this atherosclerotic inflammatory process. The aim of this study is to explore the link between cigarette smoking and its effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Methods. An experimental study with a post-test only controlled group design was used. We used 18 Wistar rats ( Rattus norvegicus) randomly subdivided into two groups: group K (-) were not exposed to tobacco smoke, whereas group K (+) were exposed to smoke equivalent of more than 40 cigarettes for 28 days daily. After 28 days, samples were analyzed for e-NOS, VCAM-1 and aortic IMT. Results . Our results indicate that tobacco smoke can enhance the expression of VCAM-1 on rat cardiac vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a decreased expression of e-NOS level and increase of aortic IMT. Linear regression model found that eNOS level negatively correlated wiith aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.584, β = -0.764, p < 0.001), whereas VCAM-1 expression did not correlate with aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.197, p = 0.065). Conclusion. Low e-NOS level and high VCAM-1 level observed after cigarette smoke exposure which may increase aortic IMT.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease frequently causes morbidity and mortality in mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS); however, cardiovascular anatomy and dysfunction in MPS IVA (Morquio A disease) is not well described. Consequently, the study aimed to compare carotid artery structure and elasticity of MPS IVA patients with other MPS patients and healthy control subjects, and quantitate frequency of MPS IVA cardiac structural and functional abnormalities.MethodsProspective, multi-center echocardiogram and carotid ultrasound evaluations of 12 Morquio A patients were compared with other MPS and healthy control subjects. Average differences between groups were adjusted for age, sex, and height with robust variance estimation for confidence intervals and P-values.ResultsMorquio A patients demonstrated significantly higher (P

Atherosclerosis is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the first cause of death worldwide. Chronic low-grade inflammation and a sustained oxidative milieu are causatively related to atherosclerosis onset and progression, and therefore, dietary patterns rich in bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities might likely contribute to revert or slowing the progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to analyse the association between fruit and vegetables intake, quantitatively measured through carotene plasma concentrations, and atherosclerotic burden, as a surrogate biomarker of CVD, in free-living subjects from the DIABIMCAP cohort study. The 204 participants of the DIABIMCAP Study cohort (Carotid Atherosclerosis in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Individuals, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01898572), were included in this cross-sectional study. Total, α-, and β-carotenes were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. Lipoprotein analysis in serum was performed by 2D- 1H NMR- DOSY, and atherosclerosis and intima media thickness (IMT) were measured through standardized bilateral carotid artery ultrasound imaging. Subjects with atherosclerosis (n = 134) had lower levels of large HDL particles than subjects without atherosclerosis. Positive associations were found between α-carotene and both large and medium HDL particles, and inverse associations were found between β- and total carotene, and VLDL and its medium/small particles. Subjects with atherosclerosis presented significantly lower plasma concentrations of total carotene compared with subjects without atherosclerosis. Plasma concentrations of carotene decreased as the number of atherosclerotic plaques increased, although after multivariate adjustment, the inverse association between β- and total carotene with plaque burden remained significant only in women. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables results in higher plasmatic carotene concentrations, which are associated with a lesser atherosclerotic plaque burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cigarette smoking could induce endothelial dysfunction and the increase of circulating markers of inflammation by activation of monocytes. This can lead to increased intima media thickness (IMT) of entire blood vessels and result in acceleration of the atherosclerosis process. However, to our knowledge, little is known about the role of cigarette smoking in this atherosclerotic inflammatory process. The aim of this study is to explore the link between cigarette smoking and its effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Methods. An experimental study with a post-test only controlled group design was used. We used 18 Wistar rats ( Rattus norvegicus) randomly subdivided into two groups: group K (-) were not exposed to tobacco smoke, whereas group K (+) were exposed to smoke equivalent of more than 40 cigarettes for 28 days daily. After 28 days, samples were analyzed for e-NOS, VCAM-1 and aortic IMT. Results . Our results indicate that tobacco smoke can enhance the expression of VCAM-1 on rat cardiac vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a decreased expression of e-NOS level and increase of aortic IMT. Linear regression model found that eNOS level negatively correlated wiith aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.584, β = -0.764, p < 0.001), whereas VCAM-1 expression did not correlate with aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.197, p = 0.065). Conclusion. Low e-NOS level and high VCAM-1 level observed after cigarette smoke exposure which may increase aortic IMT.

Introduction: In inflammatory bowel disease uncontrolled inflammation may play a role in the early progression of systemic atheromatosis with increased cardiovascular risk. Endothelial dysfunction is mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines but also by an increased level of CRP which is involved in the expression of adhesion molecules and atheroma plaque rupture. Tailored treatment with better control of the ulcerative colitis and endoscopic healing might result in decrease risk of atherothrombotic events. Aim: We decided to use a well-established method (vascular Doppler ultrasound with media-intimate index measurement) to detect an increased incidence of endothelial lesions as predictors of early atheromatosis in patients with ulcerative colitis treated with biological or conventional therapy. Material and methods: We prospectively analyzed 25 patients with RCUH with a mean age of 40 years, 16 with biological treatment. The Student t test, the Mann Whitney U test and the ANOVA test were used to compare continuous variables. Results: A discriminant analysis was performed with the presence of atheroma plaque as a dependent variable and several predictor variables, such as age, triglycerides, cholesterol of patients with ulcerative colitis. Univariate ANOVA analyzes revealed that the presence or absence of atheroma plaque differs in the variables predicting the age, INR and ecoIMT of patients with ulcerative colitis (in the age of patients (F = 8.511, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.014) Patients ‚INR (F = 50,437, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.001) and Patients’ ecoIMT (F = 7,398, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.020) In another analysis of discriminatory function s -introduced the predictor variables specific to measuring the evolution of ulcerative colitis, respectively Mayo and Mayo E (age (F = 0.8511, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.014), INR (F = 50.437, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.001), ecoIMT (F = 7.398, df = 11, p = 0.020) and Mayo (F = 14.885, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Age, endoscopic activity, and INR were correlated with predictive ultrasound changes for atheromatosis. Strengths are the prospective nature of the study and weaknesses are the limited number of patients and the fact that most patients were in remission and treated with biologicals, which could create bias in the sense of reducing the atherosclerotic risk directly correlated with active inflammation.

Aim: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting data on atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Methods: EMBASE and PubMed databases were screened according to PRISMA guidelines from inception to January 2022 for articles reporting measurements of the intima media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries and eventually carotid plaques; random effect meta-analyses for continuous outcomes and Peto's odds ratio for rare events were employed. Results: The screening and selection search strategy yielded 18 case controls studies (16 full papers and 2 abstracts); the IMT was greater in FMF (n = 1112) than in controls (n = 901) (p < 0.0001) with wide heterogeneity (I2 = 86.4%); a sensitivity analysis according to mean age of participants, male to female ratio, disease duration, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (FNG), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), colchicine use and NOQAS revealed that the heterogeneity variance was partly explained by CRP (p = 0.01) and to a much lesser extent by the AIP (p = 0.10). The pooled prevalence of carotid plaques was greater in FMF (n = 137) than in controls (n = 156) (19% vs 8.3%, p = 0.02) with low heterogeneity. Conclusion: FMF is characterised by premature atherosclerosis expressed as a thicker intima media and a greater prevalence of carotid plaques, partially related to the C-reactive protein, as expected by the autoinflammatory nature of FMF. Key Points • Familial Mediterranean fever is characterised by premature atherosclerosis. • C-reactive protein relates to intima media thickness in keeping with the autoinflammatory nature Familial Mediterranean fever. • Targeting the inter-critical low-grade inflammation may be relevant to minimise the additional cardiovascular risk posed by premature atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaffar Sarwar Zaman,1 Safar Abadi Saeed Al-Saleem Alshahrani,2 Nasrin Banu Laskar,3 Ibrahim Hadadi,4 Magbool Alelyani,4 Mohamed Adam,4 Mohammed Babiker,5 Mustafa Jafar Musa,6 Pranab Barua,7 Mohammed Elimam Ahamed Mohammed8 1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 2Family & Community Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Community Medicine, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Sikkim, India; 4Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Radiology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jeddah University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Statistics, J.B. College, Jorhat, Assam, India; 8Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Gaffar Sarwar ZamanDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied,Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, P.O. Box: 960, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 509228143, Email drgszaman@gmail.comPurpose: This research examined the association of cigarette smoking and altitude with the blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, testosterone and carotid artery thickness.Patients and methods: This comparative cross-sectional study involved 37 non-smokers and 24 smokers from a high-altitude area (≥ 2245 m above sea level) and 40 smokers and 40 non-smokers from a low-altitude area (39– 283 m above sea level). The blood testosterone level was determined spectrophotometrically, and the 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentration was measured by ELISA. The IMT of the right and left carotid arteries was determined using ultrasound imaging.Results: Smoking notably elevated the thickness of the intima media of the right and left carotid arteries at both high and low altitudes (p ≤ 0.001). Smoking at high altitude was associated with a significant increase in the concentration of 25-hydroxy vitamin D and testosterone, while at low altitude it was associated with a significant decrease in both parameters (p ≤ 0.046).Conclusion: These contrasting results suggest that future studies should focus on finding out if other biochemical parameters show any significant differences in smokers or/and non-smokers when they are tested at elevated height and sea-level. This indicates that dose modifications of medicines (related to alterations in vitamin D and testosterone levels) should be kept in mind while treating smokers and non-smokers at elevated height above sea level.Keywords: altitude, smoking, aging, body mass index, intima media thickness

People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) is a validated surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, and an accurate predictor of future cardiovascular events. It is uncertain whether HIV potentiates stroke risk through atherosclerosis in Sub-Saharan Africa and what effect HIV status has on cIMT. We sought to investigate the relationship between HIV status and cIMT in stroke patients in a region that is burdened with dual epidemics of HIV and stroke in the young. Consecutive patients with new onset ischaemic stroke were recruited from a quaternary-level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 2014 to November 2017. Patients were assessed for the presence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and HIV infection, and investigated for stroke aetiology. cIMT was measured using high resolution B-mode ultrasound following standardized techniques. 168 patients were included in the study, of which 62 (36.9%) were PLWH. Mean cIMT was higher in HIV-uninfected patients when compared to PLWH (0.79 ± 0.19 mm vs 0.69 ± 0.18 mm, p = 0.0021). However after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, total cholesterol, body mass index and stroke aetiology, there was no difference in mean cIMT between the groups (0.76 ± 0.16 mm vs 0.73 ± 0.17 mm, p = 0.29). Regression models revealed the determinants of cIMT to be age (p < 0.0001), hypertension (p = 0.0098) and total cholesterol (p = 0.005), while the determinants of increased cIMT (≥0.70 mm) were only age (p < 0.0001) and hypertension (p = 0.0002). HIV status had no effect on cIMT in our cohort of stroke patients. The main determinants of cIMT were age and hypertension. • People living with HIV have increased risk for cardiovascular disease. • Carotid intima media thickness is a validated surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. • Uncertain what effect HIV has on carotid intima media thickness in Africa. • In 168 stroke patients, HIV had no effect on carotid intima media thickness. • Age and hypertension were the main determinants of carotid intima media thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cigarette smoking could induce endothelial dysfunction and the increase of circulating markers of inflammation by activation of monocytes. This can lead to increased intima media thickness (IMT) of entire blood vessels and result in acceleration of the atherosclerosis process. However, to our knowledge, little is known about the role of cigarette smoking in this atherosclerotic inflammatory process. The aim of this study is to explore the link between cigarette smoking and its effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Methods. An experimental study with a post-test only controlled group design was used. We used 18 Wistar rats ( Rattus norvegicus) randomly subdivided into two groups: group K (-) were not exposed to tobacco smoke, whereas group K (+) were exposed to smoke equivalent of more than 40 cigarettes for 28 days daily. After 28 days, samples were analyzed for e-NOS, VCAM-1 and aortic IMT. Results . Our results indicate that tobacco smoke can enhance the expression of VCAM-1 on rat cardiac vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a decreased expression of e-NOS level and increase of aortic IMT. Linear regression model found that eNOS level negatively correlated wiith aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.584, β = -0.764, p < 0.001), whereas VCAM-1 expression did not correlate with aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.197, p = 0.065). Conclusion. Low e-NOS level and high VCAM-1 level observed after cigarette smoke exposure which may increase aortic IMT.

Background: Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) has been associated with an increase in clinical events associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease. Intima media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries is a surrogate marker of atherosclerotic vascular disease., Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating IMT and their clinical correlates in PAPS., Methods: Systematic search of EMBASE and PubMed databases from January 2000 to December 2023; we employed random effect meta-analyses for continuous outcomes and Peto's odds ratio for rare events., Results: The meta-analysis included 21 studies (20 case control and 1 cohort) showing that PAPS patients (n = 1103) had thicker IM than controls (n = 832) (p < 0.0001) with wide heterogeneity (I 2  = 86.9 %); PAPS patients (n = 782) also had a greater pooled prevalence of carotid plaques than controls (n = 537) (13.1 % vs 2.97 %, p < 0.0001). A sensitivity analysis by meta-regression indicated that mean age, gender, disease duration, lipid profile, blood pressures, smoking and statin use all explained the heterogeneity variance; a sensitivity analysis by subgroups confirmed smoking status and statin use as explanatory variables with the addition of ethnicity., Conclusion: Atherosclerosis of the carotid artery represents a clinical feature of PAPS in relation to the traditional risk factors and to statin use. Minimising the atherogenic risk with statins could reduce the late arterial atherothrombotic risks of PAPS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no financial or non-financial competing interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are accompanied by an early and accelerated atherosclerotic process. Previous studies showed that Doppler ultrasonography and intima media thickness (IMT) is a reliable marker for early atherosclerosis diagnosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of early atherosclerosis in a group of subjects with inflammatory bowel diseases, using Doppler ultrasonography and intima-media thickness (IMT) as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 61 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and 19 healthy individuals. The included patients had an established IBD diagnosis, based on clinical, endoscopic, and histological criteria for at least 12 months. Results: In our study echo IMT was not significantly higher in IBD patients than in matched healthy controls. We found no difference between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients or between conventional or biologic treatment regarding the echo IMT. Severity of the disease and its duration were predictors of an increased IMT. We found that disease activity (measured by the endoscopic scores and CRP) correlates with higher values of echo IMT. Also the presence of anemia reached statistical significance and was correlated with increased echo IMT in the biologic treatment group. Conclusions: In our study we found an increased echo IMT in IBD patients versus control, but the values did not reach statistical significance. We found no difference between Crohn’s disease and UC, conventional or biologic treatment. Age and duration of disease were corelated with increased IMT. Disease that was not controlled (high endoscopic, clinical and biological markers of activity) was correlated with increased echo IMT. The limitations of our study are that in our patients therapy was started early in the course of the disease and that the majority of the patients were in remission when echography was made. Further studies are necessary to evaluate factors correlated with early atherosclerosis in IBD and how echo IMT can be used as a tool in the proactive evaluation of these patients.

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is a common health problem in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Early recognition of vascular calcification has a great effect on the outcome. Objective: We aimed to assess the efficacy of serum osteopontin (OPN) in the early prediction of VC in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Patients and Methods: A total of 70 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into equal two groups. Group (A): included 35 patients with diabetic nephropathy with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage I-IV and group (B): included 35 patients with DN with CKD stage V on hemodialysis. Another 30 healthy subjects were recruited as a control group. Carotid Doppler and echocardiography were done in patients’ groups only while serum OPN was measured in all groups. Results: Osteopontin was found to be higher in group B in comparison to other groups and also higher in group A in comparison control group. A total of 31 (44.3%) patients had VC. Patients with VC had higher OPN in comparison to those without VC. Predictors for VC in patients with CKD were OPN, intima thickness and CKD stage V. OPN at cutoff point > 144 ng/ml had 93% overall accuracy for the prediction of VC in patients with CKD, and the area under the curve was 0.966. Conclusion: We concluded that (1) OPN level was significantly higher in hemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy stages V than those diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease stage I-IV. (2) OPN level was significantly higher in patients with vascular calcification than in those without. So, OPN can be used as an early marker for the detection of vascular calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that causes a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. This process is underlain by the early and accelerated atherosclerosis. Aim: To assess the diurnal blood pressure profile disturbances in normotensive patients without overt cardiovascular disease and to correlate with early atherosclerotic markers. Material and methods: The study included 32 baseline normotensive women with SLE and 30 healthy control women. Each participant underwent a 24-hour automatic blood pressure measurement and an ultrasound assessment of intima media thickness (IMT) and the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Results: Atherosclerotic plaques were present in 46.9% of SLE women. They had a significantly higher IMT compared to those without atherosclerotic plaques and control group (0.833 ±0.216 vs. 0.606 ±0.121 vs. 0.66 ±0.16 mm). A significant positive correlation was found between IMT and age of patients, nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP), nocturnal systolic pressure (SP) load, nocturnal SBP decline and presence of atherosclerotic plaques. The plaques positively correlated with age and with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) parameters. Fifty percent of SLE women had an abnormal 24-hour BP profile, of which 4 had non-dipper, 8 invers, and 4 hyper-dipper profile. Based on ABPM, hypertension can be diagnosed in 14 (43.75%) initially normotensive women. Women with SLE and arterial hypertension (HA) had atherosclerotic plaques significantly more often, especially in nocturnal hypertension. Conclusions: The authors confirm the underestimation of hypertension in SLE. Most women diagnosed with hypertension by ABPM had nocturnal hypertension. We showed a more frequent disturbed BP and a significant relationship between the abnormal BP profile, especially nocturnal hypertension, and accelerated development of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim To investigate the relationship of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) to carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) and carotid plaque (CAP) in Chinese general population, and to evaluate whether sdLDL-C could be an independent risk factor for individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods A total of 729 subjects were randomly collected from consecutive individuals from April 2019 to April 2020 for an annual health checkup. CA-IMT > 1.0 mm was defined as abnormal IMT. Plaque stability was measured by ultrasound examination based on the property of the echo. And sdLDL-C levels were detected by LipoPrint system. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with CA-IMT and carotid plaque. Results The abnormal IMT group had significantly higher sdLDL-C levels than control group (p

• Alterations in the functional and morphologic characteristics of the carotid arteries following exposure to radiation therapy (RT) include changes in global circumferential strain at 6 months and c-IMT at 18 months. • At 2 years following RT, one in 5 patients can develop new atherosclerotic plaques in the irradiated carotid artery. • Changes in global circumferential strain at 6 months and c-IMT at 18 months, may be useful for the early detection of radiation-induced carotid artery injury and can guide future research aiming to mitigate carotid artery stenosis. We prospectively evaluated morphologic and functional changes in the carotid arteries of patients treated with unilateral neck radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. Bilateral carotid artery duplex studies were performed at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18 months and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years following RT. Intima media thickness (IMT); global and regional circumferential, as well as radial strain, arterial elasticity, stiffness, and distensibility were calculated. Thirty-eight patients were included. A significant difference in the IMT from baseline between irradiated and unirradiated carotid arteries was detected at 18 months (median, 0.073 mm vs −0.003 mm; P = 0.014), which increased at 3 and 4 years (0.128 mm vs 0.013 mm, P = 0.016, and 0.177 mm vs 0.023 mm, P = 0.0002, respectively). A significant transient change was noted in global circumferential strain between the irradiated and unirradiated arteries at 6 months (median difference, −0.89, P = 0.023), which did not persist. No significant differences were detected in the other measures of elasticity, stiffness, and distensibility. Functional and morphologic changes of the carotid arteries detected by carotid ultrasound, such as changes in global circumferential strain at 6 months and carotid IMT at 18 months, may be useful for the early detection of radiation-induced carotid artery injury, can guide future research aiming to mitigate carotid artery stenosis, and should be considered for clinical surveillance survivorship recommendations after head and neck RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marfan Syndrome (MFS) has been associated with increased aortic stiffness and left ventricular dysfunction. The latter may be due to the underlying genotype and/or secondary to aortic stiffening (vascular-ventricular interaction). The aim of this study was to characterize arterial and cardiac function in MFS using a multimodal approach. Methods: Prospective observational study of MFS patients and healthy controls. Methods included echocardiography, ascending aortic distensibility, common carotid intima media thickness [cIMT], parameters of wave reflection, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cfPWV]), reactive hyperemia index [RHI], and biomarker analysis (Olink, CVII panel). Results: We included 20 patients with MFS and 67 controls. Ascending aortic distensibility, cIMT and RHI were decreased, while all parameters of arterial wave reflection, stiffness and BNP levels were increased in the MFS group. Both systolic and diastolic function were impaired relative to controls. Within the MFS group, no significant correlation between arterial and cardiac function was identified. However, cfPWV correlated significantly with indexed left ventricular mass and volume in MFS. Bran natriuretic peptide (BNP) was the only biomarker significantly elevated in MFS following correction for age and sex. Conclusions: MFS patients have generally increased aortic stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and BNP levels while cIMT is decreased, supporting that the mechanism of general stiffening is different from acquired vascular disease. CfPWV is associated with cardiac size, blood pressure and BNP in MFS patients. These may be early markers of disease progression that are suitable for monitoring pharmacological treatment effects in MFS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In inflammatory bowel disease uncontrolled inflammation may play a role in the early progression of systemic atheromatosis with increased cardiovascular risk. Endothelial dysfunction is mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines but also by an increased level of CRP which is involved in the expression of adhesion molecules and atheroma plaque rupture. Tailored treatment with better control of the ulcerative colitis and endoscopic healing might result in decrease risk of atherothrombotic events. Aim: We decided to use a well-established method (vascular Doppler ultrasound with media-intimate index measurement) to detect an increased incidence of endothelial lesions as predictors of early atheromatosis in patients with ulcerative colitis treated with biological or conventional therapy. Material and methods: We prospectively analyzed 25 patients with RCUH with a mean age of 40 years, 16 with biological treatment. The Student t test, the Mann Whitney U test and the ANOVA test were used to compare continuous variables. Results: A discriminant analysis was performed with the presence of atheroma plaque as a dependent variable and several predictor variables, such as age, triglycerides, cholesterol of patients with ulcerative colitis. Univariate ANOVA analyzes revealed that the presence or absence of atheroma plaque differs in the variables predicting the age, INR and ecoIMT of patients with ulcerative colitis (in the age of patients (F = 8.511, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.014) Patients‚ INR (F = 50,437, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.001) and Patients’ ecoIMT (F = 7,398, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.020) In another analysis of discriminatory function s -introduced the predictor variables specific to measuring the evolution of ulcerative colitis, respectively Mayo and Mayo E (age (F = 0.8511, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.014), INR (F = 50.437, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.001), ecoIMT (F = 7.398, df = 11, p = 0.020) and Mayo (F = 14.885, degrees of freedom = 11, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Age, endoscopic activity, and INR were correlated with predictive ultrasound changes for atheromatosis. Strengths are the prospective nature of the study and weaknesses are the limited number of patients and the fact that most patients were in remission and treated with biologicals, which could create bias in the sense of reducing the atherosclerotic risk directly correlated with active inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific tool for cardiovascular risk assessment in hemodialysis population has not yet been proposed, despite high prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality in clinically asymptomatic patients. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS), as a reliable predictor of future cardiovascular events, might be a valuable approach. We sought to evaluate coronary artery calcification burden and its association with clinical and laboratory parameters in asymptomatic patients who recently initiated hemodialysis. The cross‐sectional study included 60 asymptomatic patients receiving chronic hemodialysis for no longer than 48 months. CACS was assessed by cardiac computed tomography. Intima‐media thickness (IMT) of both common carotid and femoral arteries were measured using ultrasonography. The mean total CACS was 160.50 (443). Patients' age correlated significantly with CACS (σ = 0.367; P = 0.004), carotid (σ = 0.375; P = 0.004) and femoral IMT (σ = 0.323; P = 0.013). Patients with CACS = 0 were significantly younger than patients with CACS >400: 52.4 ± 7.91 vs. 63.88 ± 8.37 years old, respectively (P = 0.034). In patients receiving dialysis for longer than 24 months CACS, femoral and carotid IMT were higher than in those dialyzed for less than 24 months; however, none has reached significance. There was a significant positive correlation between CACS and right (σ = 0.312; P = 0.018) and left (σ = 0.521; P < 0.001) femoral IMT, while not with carotid. CACS showed significant negative correlation with the serum iron (σ = −0.351; P = 0.007). Calcification burden varies significantly in asymptomatic patients in early years of dialysis. It correlates with patients' age and tends to increase with dialysis vintage. Femoral IMT might be useful for cardiovascular risk stratification in asymptomatic patients who recently initiated hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypertension and Diabetes are two major risk factors for atherosclerotic disease. Carotid artery intima media thickness(cIMT) is considered a reliable surrogate measure for diagnosing subclinical atherosclerosis, its progression and regression. Paucity of available data regarding mean value of cIMT highlights the importance of defining the cut off value of cIMT in a specified population. Very limited studies have been done on sonographic evaluation of mean cIMT and carotid artery injury in hypertension and diabetes in Nepalese population. This study, therefore aims to determine mean cIMT in Nepalese population and to analyze effect of Hypertension and diabetes on cIMT. Methods: Cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted within the period of 18 months. B-mode ultrasound was used to measure cIMT in bilateral common carotid arteries. Comparison of mean cIMT was done amongst healthy, hypertensive and diabetes with hypertensive patients. Duration of disease was also considered. Data analysis was done with “R” analytical study. Results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results: Total1005 (508 female and 497 male) adult patients with age range of 30 to 85 years were assessed. Among these 329(32.74%) were healthy adults, 341(33.93%) were hypertensive and 335(33.33%) were diabetes with hypertensive patients. The mean cIMT in cases was more than controls (P < 0.001) bilaterally with diabetes having an additive effect. There was also positive correlation of measured value with duration of disease and age of patients. Conclusion: The present study found that mean cIMT in cases was more than controls. There is an additional effect of Diabetes on cIMT in hypertensive patient. Age and duration of disease can accelerate atherosclerosis.

Introduction: Vascular Calcification (VC) is considered as a cardiovascular risk marker in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients. VC is a process characterised by thickening and loss of elasticity of muscular arteries walls. The three pathological forms of cardiovascular disease in CKD are cardiac geometry, atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis of the large vessels (carotid artery or aorta). Aim: To evaluate VC as a cardiovascular risk marker in CKD patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Nephrology Department at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from November 2019-December 2020. The study included 27 CKD patients who were on maintenance haemodialysis. The participants were 20-70 years of age, and of both genders. The Intima Media Thickness (IMT) was assessed by ultrasonography. Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) measurement was done using doppler ultrasonography. Both the measurements were done on Common Carotid Artery (CCA), and Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) on both sides of the neck. Student’s t-test and Chi-square test was used in this study. Data were expressed as mean±SD. The p-value

Aims: Increased common carotid artery (CCA) intima media thickness (cIMT) is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. cIMT thickening has been described in patients with repaired aortic coarctation (CoA), but data on mechanism and clinical relevance in this population are scarce. Our aim was to gain mechanistic insights into cIMT thickening of patients with repaired CoA by comparing their wall architecture to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), other congenital heart diseases (oCHD), and healthy controls. Methods and results: A total of 310 subjects were included (CoA (n ​= ​58), oCHD (n ​= ​96), CAD (n ​= ​68) and healthy controls (n ​= ​88)). CIMT and lumen diameter (LD) were determined using semiautomated analysis software. Linear regression analyses were performed correcting for relevant covariates. While patients with repaired CoA and CAD both had significantly increased cIMT and cIMT/LD ratios, LD was increased only in CoA patients. Furthermore, patients with repaired CoA had decreased CCA stiffness. CCA characteristics in the oCHD group were not significantly different from controls. Conclusion: The mechanism of cIMT thickening in patients with repaired CoA may differ from CAD. While there is concentric remodeling in the latter, we see predominant eccentric remodeling in the CoA group, which could be due to increased flow as a result of compliance mismatch at the CoA repair site. We therefore suggest that the prognostic value of cIMT in post-CoA patients should be validated separately prior to using it to guide clinical management in this group.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common morbidities associated with diabetes mellitus. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are precursors to diabetes and major risk factors for atherosclerosis. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IFG and IGT in nondiabetic patients with CAD. Methods: The study was performed on 100 non-diabetic patients with CAD and 50 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Data were collected via detailed medical history taking, clinical examination, routine blood chemistry tests, fasting blood sugar test, 2-hour post-prandial blood sugar test, lipid profile, electrocardiogram, 2D-echocardiogram, and carotid Doppler. Results: Dyslipidemia was more prevalent among the patients. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was higher in the patients. Overall, IFG was found in 9 (15%) cases and IGT was found in 13 (22%) cases. The co-existence of IFG and IGT was detected in 3 (5%) cases. Abnormal glucose regulation was found in 42% of patients. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for early screening and management of prediabetes for the prevention of further progression to diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To test if 6 months' intervention with dietary nitrate and spironolactone could affect carotid subclinical atherosclerosis and stiffness, respectively, vs. placebo/doxazosin, to control for blood pressure (BP). Methods: A subgroup of participants in our double‐blind, randomized‐controlled, factorial VaSera trial had carotid imaging. Patients with hypertension and with/at risk of type 2 diabetes were randomized to active nitrate‐containing beetroot juice or placebo nitrate‐depleted juice, and spironolactone or doxazosin. Vascular ultrasound for carotid diameter (CD, mm) and intima–media thickness (CIMT, mm) was performed at baseline, 3‐ and 6‐months. Carotid local stiffness (CS, m/s) was estimated from aortic pulse pressure (Arteriograph) and carotid lumen area. Data were analysed by modified intention to treat and using mixed‐model effect, adjusted for confounders. Results: In total, 93 subjects had a baseline evaluation and 86% had follow‐up data. No statistical interactions occurred between the juice and drug arms and BP was similar between the juices and between the drugs. Nitrate‐containing vs. placebo juice significantly lowered CIMT (−0.06 [95% confidence interval −0.12, −0.01], P =.034), an overall difference of ~8% relative to baseline; but had no effect on CD or CS. Doxazosin appeared to reduce CS from baseline (−0.34 [−0.62, −0.06]) however, no difference was detected vs. spironolactone (−0.15 [−0.46, 0.16]). No differences were detected between spironolactone or doxazosin on CIMT and CD. Conclusions: Our results show that 6 months' intervention with dietary nitrate influences vascular remodelling, but not carotid stiffness or diameter. Neither spironolactone nor doxazosin had a BP‐independent effect on carotid structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aorta and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis and useful to assess cardiometabolic risk in the young. The in utero milieu may involve cardiometabolic programing and the development of cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Maternal smoking, alcohol consumption, and micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy influence the development of the cardiovascular system through a process of DNA methylation.Aim: To explore an association between maternal smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy and intima media thickness in 5-year-old children for a low-income setting.Methods: Data were collected from 500 mother-child pairs at antenatal clinic visit, at birth, and at age 5 years. Anthropometric measurements were collected at birth and again at age 5 years. As well as clinical and ultrasound measurements at age 5 years. Clinical measurements, at age 5 years, included blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate. Ultrasound measurements of the aorta and carotid arteries IMT were performed at age 5 years. Main outcome of interest was effect of dual teratogen exposure on the ultrasound measures IMT as indication of cardiometabolic risk.Results: cIMT was significantly higher in children exposed to both alcohol and nicotine during pregnancy compared to those not exposed (p = .008). In separate linear models, dual in utero exposure (beta = 0.12; p = .01) and male sex (beta = 0.14; p = .01) were associated with higher right cIMT values (F(6,445) = 5.20; R2 = 0.07, p < .01); male sex (beta = 0.13; p = .01) and low birth weight (beta = 0.07; p = .01) with higher left cIMT value (F(4,491) = 4.49; R2 = 0.04; p = .01); and males sex (beta = 0.11; p = .02) with higher aorta IMT (F(6,459) = 5.63; R2 = 0.07; p < .01). Significant positive correlations between maternal measures of adiposity, maternal MUAC (r = 0.10; p = .03), and maternal BMI (r = 0.12; p < .01) and right cIMT measurements adjusted for the BMI of the child at age 5 years as covariate. Blood pressure measurements at age 5 years were not significantly associated with IMT but, instead, correlated significantly and positively with the BMI of the child at age 5 years (p < .01).Conclusion: Children exposed to both maternal smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy presented with cardiometabolic risk factors 5 years after birth. In addition, maternal adiposity, male sex, and low birth weight were associated with higher IMT at age 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:Currently, the prevalence of caesarean section (CS) has been increasing at an alarming rate across the world. In parallel with the increasing rate of CS, it is reported that there is an increasing prevalence of obesity, autoimmune and allergic diseases. The purpose of the present study is to analyse whether the cardiovascular system characteristics of young adults born by CS are different from those of young adults born by vaginal delivery (VD).Materials and Methods:A total of 112 participants were included in the study (40 CS group vs 82 VD ie control group). Transthoracic echocardiography and carotid Doppler ultrasonography were performed to the participants. In addition, participants were evaluated with a 24-hour ECG recording.Results:Tricuspid E wave, tricuspid A wave and tricuspid E/A ratio were lower in the CS group compared with the control group (57.6±8.6 vs. 72.4±10.3, p

Abstract Background Intima-media thickness (IMT) and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) have been reported to be related to atherosclerosis and stroke. This study is trying to explore the association between IMT and sdLDL-C in Chinese acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) subjects. Methods This study enrolled total 368 consecutive AIS patients and 165 non-AIS controls from November 2016 to February 2019. Mean IMT and carotid plaques were measured by using carotid ultrasonography method. Blood glucose and lipid parameters were measured by using an automatic biochemical instrument. SdLDL-C was detected by using the Lipoprint LDL system. IMT > 1.0 mm was defined as increased IMT. Plaque stability based on the nature of the echo was determined by ultrasound examination. Risk factors for IMT were identified by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A logistic regression model was established to predict AIS risk. Python software (Version 3.6) was used for the statistical analysis of all data. Results The carotid IMT, proportion of plaques, and the sdLDL-C, triglycerides (TG) and glucose levels were obviously higher in AIS patients than those in controls. SdLDL-C level in the IMT thickening group was higher than that in the normal IMT group. SdLDL-C and total cholesterol (TC) were risk factors for IMT, while sdLDL-C was an independent risk factor. The IMT value of the unstable plaque group was markedly higher than that of the stable plaque group. The predictive value of IMT for AIS was better than that of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) but not as good as that of sdLDL-C. A logistic regression model was established to predict AIS risk. Additionally, carotid IMT and sdLDL-C were closely related to AIS severity and outcomes. Conclusions SdLDL-C and TC were risk factors for increased IMT, while sdLDL-C was an independent risk factor. A prediction model based on IMT and other variables was established to screen the population with high AIS risk.

Abstract Background Radiotherapy treatment of head and neck cancer affects local arteries and increases the risk of stroke. This study aimed at a closer characterization of this damage and its development in time with a longitudinal study set up. Methods Male patients treated between 2011 and 2016 for hypopharyngeal carcinoma were identified from the in-house clinical data base. They were included into the study if besides the planning CT at least one additional CT image was available from follow-up (13 patients) or at least two MRI scans (16 patients of which 2 were already included). All patients received radiotherapy, and chemotherapy was administered to 16 patients. The time from the beginning of radiotherapy to the last available image ranged from 2 months to 4.5 years. For six segments of the carotid arteries, the number and volume of atherosclerotic plaques were determined from the CT scans, and the intima media thickness from the MRI scans. Information on comorbid cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus was retrieved from medical records. Results Total plaque volume rose from 0.25 cm3 before to 0.33 cm3 after therapy but this was not significant (p = 0.26). The mean number of plaques increased from 5.7 to 8.1 (p = 0.002), and the intima media thickened from 1.17 mm to 1.35 mm (p = 0.002). However, the mean intima media thickness practically did not change in patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus (p-value for homogeneity: 0.03). For patients without diabetes mellitus, dynamics of both plaque number and intima media thickness, was consistent with an increase until about one year after therapy and no further progression thereafter. Conclusion Our study confirmed the thickening of artery walls and the increase in the number of plaques. Results imply that definitive radiation damage to the artery walls can be determined not earlier than about one year after radiotherapy and there is no substantial deterioration thereafter. Reasons for the absence of an observable intima media thickening in patients with diabetes are unclear.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease frequently causes morbidity and mortality in mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS); however, cardiovascular anatomy and dysfunction in MPS IVA (Morquio A disease) is not well described. Consequently, the study aimed to compare carotid artery structure and elasticity of MPS IVA patients with other MPS patients and healthy control subjects, and quantitate frequency of MPS IVA cardiac structural and functional abnormalities. Methods Prospective, multi-center echocardiogram and carotid ultrasound evaluations of 12 Morquio A patients were compared with other MPS and healthy control subjects. Average differences between groups were adjusted for age, sex, and height with robust variance estimation for confidence intervals and P-values. Results Morquio A patients demonstrated significantly higher (P

New and clinically useful markers of cardiovascular risk are of great importance in patients with type 2 diabetes since cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in these patients. We analyzed inflammatory markers and other risk factors for heart disease in 761 patients who participated in the CARDIPP-study, Cardiovascular Risk factors in Patients with Diabetes—a Prospective study in Primary care. All participants had type 2 diabetes and were 55–66 years old at recruitment during the years 2005–2008. Patients were followed for incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death from cardiovascular disease until the end of the year 2018 using the national Swedish Cause of Death and Hospitalization Registries. Besides traditional risk-markers for vascular disease, we also measured carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity and intima-media thickness of carotid arteries. During a median period of 13 years, 165 men and 65 women died or were hospitalized for ischemic heart disease and stroke. TNFrII showed statistically significance as a risk factor for stroke, ischemic heart disease, and total mortality in male patients with diabetes type 2, independently of age, diabetes duration, BMI, Hba1c, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, IMT and PWV (p = 0.002, HR 2.70, CI 1.42:5.13, p = 0.002). Circulating TNFrII levels failed to present a similar correlation in women (p = 0.48, CI 0.48:4.84). TNFrII stayed significant in males when HDL/LDL-ratio, CRP and smoking were added to the statistical analysis. Our data support the use of serum TNFrII in male type 2 diabetes patients to add independent prognostic information in terms of mortality and heart disease independently of other strong and well-established risk markers including cholesterol, inflammatory cytokines, PWV and IMT. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01049737. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the work: To assess micro and macro-vascular involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and their possible association with variable disease parameters using non invasive imaging techniques. Patients and Methods: Thirty (SSc) patients and twenty four controls were enrolled. Skin thickness was assessed using modified Rodnan skin score (mRss). Nailfold videocapillarscopy (NVC) was employed to detect microangiopathy and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) was assessed by power Doppler ultrasound. Results: Patients were 96.7% females and 3.3% males, mean age was 41.6 ± 11.5 years, with mean disease duration 4.7 ± 3 years. 73.3% had limited form while 26.7% had diffuse form. The mean mRss was 18.6 ± 8.5. Microangiopathic patterns detected by NVC were: early, active and late (36.65%), (26.7%) and (36.65%) respectively, and structural alterations included: scar (70%), large capillaries (60%), hemorrhage (41.4%), scanty (36.7%), branched (20%), mega capillaries (16.7%), and tall (10%), but neither crossed nor ramified capillaries were detected. The mean IMT was higher in patients (1 ± 0.2 mm) compared to controls (0.7 ± 0.09 mm) (p < 0.001). A significant inverse correlation was found between high density lipoprotein (HDL) with capillary length (r = −0.27, p = 0.05), arterial and venous loop diameters (r = −0.29,p = 0.03)(r = −0.41, p = 0.003) respectively. On linear regression for prediction of HDL, only the relation to venous loop was significant (p = 0.03). Atherosclerosis on carotid doppler showed significant association with arterial loop diameter (p = 0.04), venous loop diameter (p = 0.02) and capillary length (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Micro- and macro-vascular disease in SSc are different entities that do not simultaneously exist in every patient, although endothelial dysfunction can eventually lead to both, and should be meticulously evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cigarette smoking could induce endothelial dysfunction and the increase of circulating markers of inflammation by activation of monocytes. This can lead to increased intima media thickness (IMT) of entire blood vessels and result in acceleration of the atherosclerosis process. However, to our knowledge, little is known about the role of cigarette smoking in this atherosclerotic inflammatory process. The aim of this study is to explore the link between cigarette smoking and its effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Methods. An experimental study with a post-test only controlled group design was used. We used 18 Wistar rats ( Rattus norvegicus) randomly subdivided into two groups: group K (-) were not exposed to tobacco smoke, whereas group K (+) were exposed to smoke equivalent of more than 40 cigarettes for 28 days daily. After 28 days, samples were analyzed for e-NOS, VCAM-1 and aortic IMT. Results . Our results indicate that tobacco smoke can enhance the expression of VCAM-1 on rat cardiac vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a decreased expression of e-NOS level and increase of aortic IMT. Linear regression model found that eNOS level negatively correlated wiith aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.584, β = -0.764, p < 0.001), whereas VCAM-1 expression did not correlate with aortic IMT ( r 2 = 0.197, p = 0.065). Conclusion. Low e-NOS level and high VCAM-1 level observed after cigarette smoke exposure which may increase aortic IMT.

Objective: To assess the changes occurring in both common carotid arteries (CCAs) intima-media thickness (IMT) in Yemeni chronic khat chewers using B-mode ultrasonography. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 195 participants (103 regular khat chewers and 92 non-khat chewers) conveniently selected at the Radiology Department of the University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) in Sana’a from August 2017 to August 2018. Data about gender, age, BMI, chewing khat and the period of chewing were collected from participants using a structured questionnaire. B-mode ultrasonography of bilateral CCAs was then performed to measure the IMT. Data were analyzed using suitable statistical tests, and P-values

Background The association between elevated serum uric acid (SUA), cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and carotid atherosclerosis has long been explored, and contrasting results have been reported. Therefore, the role of SUA as an independent risk factor for vascular events (VEs) and carotid atherosclerosis deserves further attention. We investigated the relationship between SUA, incident VEs, carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT), and cIMT progression in subjects at moderate‐to‐high CVD risk. Methods and Results In the IMPROVE (IMT‐Progression as Predictors of VEs) study, 3686 participants (median age 64 years; 48% men) with ≥ 3 vascular risk factors, free from VEs at baseline, were grouped according to SUA quartiles (division points: 244–284–328 µmol/L in women, 295–336–385 µmol/L in men). Carotid‐IMT and its 15‐month progression, along with incident VEs, were recorded. A U‐shaped association between SUA and VEs was observed in men, with 2.4‐fold (P = 0.004) and 2.5‐fold (P = 0.002) increased CVD risk in the first and fourth SUA quartiles as compared with the second. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for cerebro‐VEs in men were the highest (first and fourth quartile versus second: HR, 5.3, P = 0.010 and HR, 4.4, P = 0.023, respectively). SUA level was independently associated with cIMT progression in men (β = 0.068, P = 0.014). No significant association between SUA levels, CVD end points, and cIMT progression were found in women. Conclusions Both low and high SUA levels are associated with an increased risk of VEs in men at moderate‐to‐high CVD risk but not in women. Only elevated SUA levels predict cIMT progression and at a lesser but not significant extent in women.

Introduction: In recent years numerous research studies have indicated that chronic inflammation in psoriasis can be associated with an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis. Aim: The presented study was aimed at demonstrating whether patients suffering from psoriasis vulgaris are at a greater risk of developing atherosclerosis depending on the presence of selected cardiovascular risk factors and the course and severity of the disease. Material and methods: Sixty-two patients with diagnosed psoriasis vulgaris and 42 healthy volunteers were included in the study. All the patients underwent carotid ultrasound with the assessment of the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and the computed tomography with determination of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Results: The IMT was significantly higher in the study group (1.030 ±0.303 mm vs. 0.838 ±0.151 mm, p < 0.0001). We also found a significantly increased severity of Calcium Score (CS) in Agatston units (168.20 ±309.63 vs. 24.52 ±43.21, p = 0.0207) of CAC in patients with psoriasis. There was no significant correlation between the degree of atherosclerosis and psoriasis severity determined in the PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) scale, duration of the disease, number of exacerbations per year or C-reactive protein values. Conclusions: The study showed an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis in patients diagnosed with psoriasis vulgaris, but no correlation was found between the degree of atherosclerosis and the severity of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]