158 research outputs found
Circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein is associated with echolucent plaques in the femoral artery independently of hsCRP in 61-year-old men.
No full textOBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that circulating markers of inflammation (high-sensitive C-reactive protein, hsCRP) and oxidative modification of lipids (oxidized low-density lipoprotein, oxLDL) were associated with the occurrence of echolucent rather than echogenic femoral artery plaques in a cross-sectional population based cohort of 513, 61-year-old men.
BACKGROUND
The relationships between circulating oxLDL, hsCRP and the occurrence of echolucent plaques in the femoral artery have not previously been investigated.
METHODS
The levels of circulating oxLDL and hsCRP were determined in plasma by ELISA. Plaque occurrence, size and echogenicity were measured by B-mode ultrasound in the right femoral artery. Assessment of plaque echogenicity was based on the classification (grades 1-4) proposed by Gray-Weale et al.
RESULTS
A higher frequency of echolucent femoral plaques was observed in subjects with the metabolic syndrome and current smokers (p=0.01 and p<0.001, respectively) as well as with increasing levels of oxLDL and hsCRP (p=0.002 and p=0.005, respectively). In a multiple logistic regression analysis oxLDL and current smokers turned out to be independent associated with the presence of echolucent femoral artery plaques.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study support our hypothesis that circulating oxLDL is a marker of an unstable echolucent plaque phenotype in the femoral artery in man
Heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the quandary of beta-blockers and beta-agonists
No full textThe combination of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presents many therapeutic challenges. The cornerstones of therapy are beta-blockers and beta-agonists, respectively. Their pharmacological effects are diametrically opposed, and each is purported to adversely affect the alternative condition. The tolerability of beta-blockade in patients with mild and fixed airflow obstruction likely extends to those with more severe disease. However, the evidence is rudimentary. The long-term influence of beta-blockade on pulmonary function, symptoms, and quality of life is unclear. Low-dose initiation and gradual up-titration of cardioselective beta-blockers is currently recommended. Robust clinical trials are needed to provide the answers that may finally allay physicians' mistrust of beta-blockers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Beta-agonists are associated with incident heart failure in patients with pulmonary disease and with increased mortality and hospitalization in those with existing heart failure. These purported adverse effects require further investigation. In the meantime, clinicians should consider carefully the etiology of dyspnea and obtain objective evidence of airflow obstruction before prescribing beta-agonists to patients with heart failure
Antihypertensive Treatment With Metoprolol or Hydrochlorothiazide in Patients Aged 60 to 75 Years
No full text
Non-invasive assessment of cardiac function : studies in normotensive and hypertensive 50-year-old men and male infarction patients aged 48-57
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