Atherosclerosis
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, with systemic inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
We characterized the association of 3 metabolic conditions - obesity, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - with increased inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis. ⋯ NAFLD is associated with increased inflammation and CAC independent of traditional risk factors, obesity and metabolic syndrome. There is a graded association between obesity, metabolic syndrome, and NAFLD with inflammation and CAC.
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Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a novel biomarker released from leukocytes and endothelial cells that has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that plasma suPAR level is an independent predictor of coronary microvascular function. ⋯ In this cross-sectional study, plasma suPAR level was an independent predictor of coronary microvascular function. Larger prospective clinical trials are warranted to investigate the prognostic value of this novel biomarker and the role of immune dysregulation in coronary microvascular disease.
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Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which acts an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Arginine (Arg) may regulate vascular endothelial function, since Arg is the substrate of NO competing with ADMA. In our previous study, low Arg/ADMA ratio is an independent risk for microangiopathy-related cerebral damage. ⋯ Imbalance of Arg and ADMA is independently involved in the progression of atherosclerosis, and the Arg/ADMA ratio may be a sensitive marker for atherosclerosis.
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Review Meta Analysis
Breast arterial calcifications: a systematic review and meta-analysis of their determinants and their association with cardiovascular events.
Breast arterial calcifications (BAC), regularly observed at mammography, are medial calcifications and as such an expression of arteriosclerosis. Our objective was to evaluate and summarize the available evidence on the associations of BAC with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular risk. ⋯ BAC appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events, while only being associated with some of the known cardiovascular risk factors, illustrating that medial arterial calcification might contribute to cardiovascular disease through a pathway distinct from the intimal atherosclerotic process.
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Altered arterial stiffness is a recognized risk factor of poor cardiovascular health. Ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI, defined as one minus the regression slope of diastolic on systolic blood pressure values derived from a 24 h arterial blood pressure monitoring, ABPM) is an upcoming and readily available marker of arterial stiffness. Our hypothesis was that AASI is increased in obese children compared to age- and gender matched healthy subjects. ⋯ This study shows that AASI, a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness, is increased in obese children. AASI seems to be influenced by BMI and pulse pressure independently of systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, suggesting that other factors are involved in increased arterial stiffness in obese children.