Atherosclerosis
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Comparative Study
The aorta wall of patients presenting to the emergency department with acute myocardial infarction by cardiac magnetic resonance.
Inflammation has been shown to be a major component in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a critical component of the ACS spectrum, multiple coronary arteries are involved during this inflammatory process. In addition to the coronary vasculature, the inflammatory cascade has also been shown to affect the carotid arteries and possibly the aorta. ⋯ Patients with AMI have a significantly greater maximal aortic wall thickness and area compared to patients with non-cardiac CP. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether this increase is due to inflammation or a higher atherosclerotic burden.
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Sarcopenia of legs is an important cause of physical dysfunctions, frailty and dependence. Many predisposing and underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia, including age, sedentary life style, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and low testosterone levels, are also known to be related to atherosclerosis, which is another leading cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly subjects. In this study, we investigated our hypothesis that sarcopenia and atherosclerosis are associated with each other to facilitate mutual abnormalities. ⋯ Arterial stiffness is related to thigh muscle volume in men. Sarcopenia and atherosclerosis may share a common pathway and interact with each other to facilitate mutual abnormalities.