Atherosclerosis
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Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) provides a noninvasive approach to the functional status of carotid adventitial vasa vasorum. Contrast extravasation rate, or Ktrans, derived from kinetic modeling of adventitial enhancement, has been correlated with plaque neovascularization and inflammation. This study sought to clarify the clinical implications of Ktrans by evaluating its relationship with documented cardiovascular events (CVE). ⋯ Patients with documented CVE demonstrated increased rate of contrast extravasation from carotid adventitial vasa vasorum on DCE-MRI irrespective of the territory of events. Systemic factors implicated in the pathophysiology of acute atherothrombotic events may influence the functional status of adventitial vasa vasorum.
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There is strong evidence that fat accumulating in non-adipose sites, "ectopic fat", is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including vascular calcification. Most previous studies of this association have assessed only a single ectopic fat depot. Therefore, our aim was to assess the association of total, regional, and ectopic fat with abdominal aorto-illiac calcification (AAC) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in 798 African ancestry men. ⋯ Greater adiposity in the skeletal muscle and liver, but not in the visceral compartment, was associated with increased odds of AAC in African ancestry men. These results highlight the potential importance of both quantity and location of adiposity accumulation throughout the body.