Vascular health and risk management
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Vasc Health Risk Manag · Jan 2015
ReviewLowering triglycerides to modify cardiovascular risk: will icosapent deliver?
Despite the clinical benefits of lowering levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, many patients continue to experience cardiovascular events. This residual risk suggests that additional risk factors require aggressive modification to result in more effective prevention of cardiovascular disease. Hypertriglyceridemia has presented a considerable challenge with regard to understanding its role in the promotion of cardiovascular risk. ⋯ As a result, there is increasing interest in the development of specific therapeutic strategies that directly target hypertriglyceridemia. This has seen a resurgence in the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the therapeutic lowering of triglyceride levels. The role of these agents and other emerging strategies to reduce triglyceride levels in order to decrease vascular risk are reviewed.
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Vasc Health Risk Manag · Jan 2015
Comparative StudyCardiovascular risk assessment in type 2 diabetes mellitus: comparison of the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension risk prediction charts versus UK Prospective Diabetes Study risk engine.
Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and assessment of their cardiac risk is important for preventive strategies. ⋯ There is a significant discrepancy between the two assessment tools with WHO/ISH risk chart recognizing higher proportions of patients having low cardiac risk than the UKPDS risk engine. Risk assessment by both assessment tools demonstrated poor sensitivity in identifying those with treatable levels of LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure.
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It is well known that patients who suffer from peripheral (noncardiac) vascular disease often have coexisting atherosclerotic diseases of the heart. This may leave the patients susceptible to major adverse cardiac events, including death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and pulmonary edema, during the perioperative time period, in addition to the many other complications they may sustain as they undergo vascular surgery procedures, regardless of whether the procedure is performed as an open or endovascular modality. ⋯ Just as postoperative management of patients is vital to the outcome of a patient, preoperative assessment and optimization may reduce, and possibly completely alleviate, the risks of major postoperative complications, as well as assist in the decision-making process regarding the appropriate surgical and anesthetic management. This review article addresses several tools and therapies that treating physicians may employ to medically optimize a patient before they undergo noncardiac vascular surgery.
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Vasc Health Risk Manag · Jan 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudyReal-world effectiveness of amlodipine/valsartan and amlodipine/valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide in high-risk patients and other subgroups.
The clinical EXCITE (EXperienCe of amlodIpine and valsarTan in hypErtension) study reported clinically relevant blood pressure (BP) reductions across all doses of amlodipine/valsartan (Aml/Val) and Aml/Val/hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) single-pill combinations. The study prospectively observed a multiethnic population of hypertensive patients for 26 weeks who were treated according to routine clinical practice. Here, we present the results in high-risk subgroups including the elderly, obese patients, and patients with diabetes or isolated systolic hypertension. In addition, we present a post hoc analysis as per prior antihypertensive monotherapy and dual therapy. ⋯ This large, multiethnic study supports the evidence that Aml/Val and Aml/Val/ HCT single-pill combinations are effective in diverse and clinically important subgroups of patients with hypertension.
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Vasc Health Risk Manag · Jan 2015
Case ReportsHigh-flow bypass and wrap-clipping for ruptured blood blister-like aneurysm of the internal carotid artery using intraoperative monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics.
Aneurysms at non-branching sites in the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) can be classified as "blood blister-like aneurysms" (BBAs), which have blood blister-like configurations and fragile walls. While surgical treatment for the BBA in the acute stage is recommended, the optimal surgical procedure remains controversial. In the study reported here, we describe the case of a 37-year-old woman with a ruptured BBA in the ophthalmic segment of the right ICA who underwent wrap-clipping with external carotid artery-internal carotid artery bypass by intraoperative estimation of the measurement of cortical cerebral blood flow (CoBF) using a thermal diffusion flow probe. ⋯ We believe that it is important to perform scheduled external carotid artery-internal carotid artery bypass before trapping of the ICA in patients with a ruptured BBA in the acute stage of subarachnoid hemorrhage and to perform wrap-clipping rather than trapping. This would provide much more CoBF if a reduction of CoBF occurs after trapping occlusion of the ICA including a ruptured BBA according to intraoperative CoBF monitoring. As far as we are aware, the case reported here is the first report on high-flow bypass and wrap-clipping for a ruptured BBA of the ICA using intraoperative monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics.