0000000000873878
AUTHOR
Alberto Balbarini
Carotid artery intima-media thickness: normal and percentile values in the Italian population (camp study)
AIMS: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is one of the best non-invasive parameters for evaluating previous vascular lesions and could be used to identify a preclinical stage of the atherosclerotic process. The aim of our research was to develop an epidemiological study of the normal mean values of IMT of the common carotid artery, adjusted for age and sex, in the Italian population. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this multicenter study, a total of 1017 patients (596 males, mean age: 58.5 + 13.2 years) were enrolled at four different Italian centers. Inclusion criteria were the absence of cardiovascular risk factors or presence of not more than one. Patients underwent two-dimensional echo-color …
Association Between Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Syndrome: Results From the ISMIR Study
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) has previously been associated with an early marker of atherosclerosis, the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). From the ISMIR (Ispessimento Medio Intimale e Rischio cardiovascolare [media-intima thickness and cardiovascular risk]) study population of 479 asymptomatic participants, we identified 80 participants with MetS. Carotid IMT and plaques were evaluated by ultrasonography. Blood samples were obtained from all participants. Participants with MetS had a significantly higher prevalence of a carotid IMT > 0.80 mm (P = .004) and of carotid plaques (P < .001) as compared with participants without MetS. Carotid IMT was significantly correlated with fas…
Women and peripheral arterial disease: same disease, different issues
Objectives Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease and, thus, its clinical manifestations are likely to present gender-specific differences with respect to their development, course, symptom complexes and prognosis. The present study aimed to examine sex differences in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and its clinical correlates. Methods PAD severity, quality of life (assessed by ST-22), cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory profile and comorbidity were assessed in 163 men and 68 women who were consecutively diagnosed with PAD at three Italian University vascular centres. Results Compared to men, women showed a higher prevalence of critical limb ischemia (P = 0.018), but had a less…