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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Early Markers of Cardiovascular Damage

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description

Cardiovascular (CV) disease represents at present one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in western industrialized countries. The prevalence of CV disease is increased in subjects with hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and central obesity. In these conditions, it is possible to detect early alterations of metabolic, hormonal, hemostatic, genetic and hemodynamic parameters, frequently associated with morphological and functional modifications of the left ventricle (LV) and the vascular system. Since these changes generally precede and are closely related to the occurrence of CV events, they may be considered early markers of CV disease. In recent years, the study of these parameters as prognostic factors has been facilitated by the introduction of new sensitive laboratory and image methods that allow their accurate quantification. In fact, several studies have investigated specific markers to document the early involvement of the CV system.