0000000000123646
AUTHOR
Claudio Pernice
Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis enhances the global cardiovascular risk and increases the rate of cerebro- and cardiovascular events in a five-year follow-up
AIM: To evaluate if the intima-media thickening (IMT) and asymptomatic carotid plaque (ACP), as expression of carotid preclinical atherosclerosis (pre-ATS), can provide further information on the global cardiovascular risk (GCVR). METHODS: We studied 454 asymptomatic subjects, with a cluster of risk factors (RF), and evaluated the incidence of a first cardiovascular (CV) event in a five-year follow-up. The subjects at admission were subdivided in three groups of risk. RESULTS: Events occurred in 38% of subjects at high risk, in 13% and 6% of subjects at intermediate and low risk (p<0.003). Among evaluated parameters, carotid pre-ATS was a predictive marker of CV events (OR 2.7, 95% IC 1.4-5…
High plasma levels of endothelin-1 enhance the predictive value of preclinical atherosclerosis for future cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events: a 20-year prospective study
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that endothelin-1 (Et-1) plays a role in cardiac and vascular disease. In the present study, we investigated the prognostic significance of Et-1 for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular outcome, in a 20-year follow-up. METHODS: We studied 82 originally healthy individuals, referred to our Unit of Cardiovascular Prevention, to evaluate the presence of asymptomatic carotid lesions. We subdivided these individuals into two groups, according to the plasma values of Et-1 (respectively ≤ or >2.7 pg/ml). Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were investigated, and by carotid ultrasound examination, we distinguished between normal …
Vascular Changes and Aging
The progress of cardiovascular prevention and the large use of antibiotics have determined in the last fifty years a progressive increase of life duration, especially in the western countries, and so, a noticeable increase of elderly subjects in the population (1,2).