Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cilostazol (Pletal), a quinolinone derivative, has been approved in the U.S. for the treatment of symptoms of intermittent claudication (IC) since 1999 and for related indications since 1988 in Japan and other Asian countries. The vasodilatory and antiplatelet actions of cilostazol are due mainly to the inhibition of phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) and subsequent elevation of intracellular cAMP levels. Recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that cilostazol also possesses the ability to inhibit adenosine uptake, a property that may distinguish it from other PDE3 inhibitors, such as milrinone. Elevation of interstitial and circulating adenosine levels by cilostazol has been found to potentiate the cAMP-elevating effect of PDE3 inhibition in platelets and smooth muscle, thereby augmenting antiplatelet and vasodilatory effects of the drug. In contrast, elevation of interstitial adenosine by cilostazol in the heart has been shown to reduce increases in cAMP caused by the PDE3-inhibitory action of cilostazol, thus attenuating the cardiotonic effects. Cilostazol has also been reported to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro and has been demonstrated in a clinical study to favorably alter plasma lipids: to decrease triglyceride and to increase HDL-cholesterol levels. One, or a combination of several of these effects may contribute to the clinical benefits and safety of this drug in IC and other disease conditions secondary to atherosclerosis. In eight double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trials, cilostazol significantly increased maximal walking distance, or absolute claudication distance on a treadmill. In addition, cilostazol improved quality of life indices as assessed by patient questionnaire. One large randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter competitor trial demonstrated the superiority of cilostazol over pentoxifylline, the only other drug approved for IC. Cilostazol has been generally well-tolerated, with the most common adverse events being headache, diarrhea, abnormal stools and dizziness. Studies involving off-label use of cilostazol for prevention of coronary thrombosis/restenosis and stroke recurrence have also recently been reported.
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PMID:Cilostazol (pletal): a dual inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase type 3 and adenosine uptake. 1183 Jul 53

Many types of adverse ocular reactions to oral contraceptives (OCs) have been reported, but the role of OCs has not always been confirmed. Neuroophthalmologic complications may result from cerebral vascular accidents responsible for visual field deficits, accidents affecting the cerebral trunk, ischemic accidents resulting from obstruction of the internal carotid artery. The role of OCs in cerebral vascular accidents is controversial. Most reports concern older formulations containing high doses of estrogen. In the current state of knowledge it is generally agreed that OCs may induce an increased thromboembolic risk in women over 35, those who smoke, and those with risk factors for atherosclerosis. It is agreed that occurrence of a transient ischemic cerebral vascular accident requires immediate termination of OC use. OCs have been implicated occasionally in retrobulbar optic neuropathy, but the condition in young women appears more likely to be the 1st manifestation of a sclerosis. OCs appear to increase the incidence of benign intracranial hypertension, manifested by headaches, papillary edema endangering the optic nerve, and the absence of visible anomalies on the scanner. It is also recognized that migraines are induced or aggravated by OCs. Migraines are known to be linked to hormonal factors. Ophthalmic migraines belong to the subgroup of vascular migraines. Retinal vascular diseases such as occlusion of the central retinal artery, intraocular hemorrhage, and more rarely macular edema have been reported retrospectively but their documentation has been insufficient to permit determination of causality. The prognosis for retinal emboli is mediocre. Problems in color vision initially affecting blue have been described in OC users and may be a function of the duration of use. The condition is especially prevalent in diabetes. Pregnancy appears to accelerate the loss of visual field in some women with pigmentary retinopathy. For that reason some ophthalmologists recommend that they avoid OCs. Other ocular problems have been observed in OC users but no link has been proven and the only evidence is anecdotal. It has been suggested that OCs decrease tolerance for contact lenses, but prospective studies have not demonstrated a link. All contraindications to OC use should be scrupulously respected. Use should be terminated immediately in case of transient ischemic accident, appearance of sudden severe headaches, vertigo, or vision problems such as papillary edema or retinal hemorrhage.
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PMID:[Adverse ocular reactions to oral contraceptive use]. 1231 84

The added risks of thromboembolic disease in pill users who also smoke cigarets are enumerated, then the physiological mechanisms explained. From retrospective studies it seems that heart attacks are more likely in women with oral contraception, smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. With 1 of these factors the risk is 4-fold, with 2 factors 10-fold, and with 3 factors 78-fold, i.e., a synergic not additive effect. The progestagen in the pill is primarily responsible, acting by causing microthrombi. Strokes are more likely when headaches and hypertension, or oral contraception and smoking are present. Smoking is more often associated with hemorrhagic strokes, while hypertension increases risks of thrombotic and hemorrhagic strokes. The following effects of smoking are probably involved in thromboembolic disease: tachycardia, hypertension, peripheral vasoconstriction, carbon monoxide, inhibition of fibrinolysis, atherosclerosis, and increased blood viscosity.
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PMID:[Smoking and oral contraceptives]. 1233 82

Coagulation disorders are common in cancer patients. In patients with solid tumors, a low-grade activated coagulation can result in systemic and cerebral arterial or venous thrombosis. Cancer treatments may also contribute to this coagulopathy, which usually, but not exclusively, occurs in the setting of advanced malignant disease. There may be TIAs or cerebral infarctions. Because of the widespread distribution of cerebral thromboses, there may be a superimposed encephalopathy; sometimes this is the only sign. Concurrent systemic thrombosis is present in many patients and is a useful clue to the diagnosis. In cerebral venous occlusion, the initial symptom is usually a headache. Except for cerebral intravascular coagulation that is unassociated with NBTE, neuriomaging studies usually demonstrate one or more parenchymal infarctions. MRI or MRV may demonstrate venous thrombosis. The laboratory evidence of coagulopathy is difficult to distinguish from the asymptomatic coagulopathy that often accompanies advanced cancer, and the test results must be interpreted cautiously. NBTE can be diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography. There is no established treatment for the thrombotic coagulopathy associated with cancer, but anticoagulation should be considered. In leukemia and lymphoma, the coagulopathy is typically acute DIC that can lead to systemic and brain hemorrhages. It is especially common in acute myelogenous leukemias. The clinical signs of cerebral hemorrhage are fulminant and may be fatal. The bleeding usually occurs in the brain or subdural compartment, and rarely in the subarachnoid space. The diagnosis can be suspected by the clinical setting and by systemic thrombosis or hemorrhage. It can be established by examination of the peripheral smear, the platelet count, and tests of coagulation function. Therapy of acute DIC is controversial and should be individualized for the clinical setting. Cerebrovascular disorders can complicate metastatic or primary tumor in the brain, skull, dura, or leptomeninges. The clinical signs of infarction are indistinguishable from other causes of stroke, except that tumor-related venous occlusion will usually first produce signs of increased intracranial pressure. The diagnosis of tumor-related infarction can usually be established by neuroimaging studies that show infarction and may show extracerebral sites of tumor. CSF examination is useful in diagnosing leptomeningeal metastasis. A search for lung or cardiac tumor should be performed when embolic tumor infarction is suspected. Primary or metastatic tumors in the brain or dura may hemorrhage, producing the initial clinical signs of the brain tumor or a change in chronic signs induced by the tumor. There are helpful clues to a neoplastic hemorrhage on brain CT or MRI scans. The brain hemorrhage may require evacuation and the underlying tumor will usually require additional antineoplastic treatment. Hyperleukocytosis (extreme elevation of the cell count) in acute myelogenous leukemia is a less common cause of brain hemorrhage in recent years because of improved methods to lower the cell count. Cerebral arterial or venous thrombosis is sometimes the result of cancer therapy. The attribution of thrombosis to chemotherapy in many published cases is only speculative, because carefully conducted prospective studies that include investigation for other thrombotic causes are not available. The best-known associations with thrombosis are L-asparaginase, which is typically used in the induction therapy of acute lymphocytic leukemia, and combination hormonal therapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer. Radiation to the head and neck, typically administered for head and neck epithelial cancers or lymphoma, may result in delayed carotid atherosclerosis. The distribution of stenosis or occlusion is within the radiation portal and is typically more extensive than is atherosclerosis that develops in the absence of radiation. Small clinical series suggest that surgical treatment is equally effective as in nonirradiated carotid atherosclerosis. In children, the cerebral vessels can be affected by brain radiation resulting in stenosis or occlusion. Brain hemorrhages can result from chemotherapy effects on the hemostatic system or a microangiopathic anemia. Hemorrhages from radiation-induced vascular abnormalities are rare. Opportunistic infections, especially fungal infections, can complicate cancer or its treatment. Septic cerebral emboli may result in focal cerebral signs, seizures, or encephalopathy. Sometimes there is an associated hemorrhagic vasculitis or cerebritis. Rarely, mycotic aneurysms may bleed. A high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose fungal infection because of the difficulty in culturing the organism from the blood or CSF. A clinician can usually establish the cause of stroke in the cancer patient by performing a careful review of the clinical setting--including the type and extent of cancer and the type of antineoplastic therapy--in which the stroke occurred. Systemic thrombosis, embolism, or hemorrhage can be a clue to the cause, and appropriate neuroimaging and coagulation studies to aid in the diagnosis are available. Therapy may ameliorate symptoms or prevent further episodes. The identification of one of these unusual stroke syndromes that leads to the diagnosis of an occult and treatable cancer can be particularly rewarding.
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PMID:Cerebrovascular complications in cancer patients. 1269 Jun 49

Hypertensive encephalopathy is a syndrome consisting of headache, seizures, visual changes, and other neurologic disturbances in patients with elevated systemic blood pressure. Diagnosis based on clinical and radiological findings, which are not specific, may be difficult to establish. Furthermore, hypertensive encephalopathy may develop gradually even when blood pressure is lower than that of malignant hypertension. We present clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and autopsy findings in a 43-year-old schizophrenic patient with unrecognised hypertensive encephalopathy, which was misinterpreted by MRI as a diffusely growing brain stem tumour. Increased blood pressure was recorded several times, but it was not properly controlled and treated either during his out-door psychiatric examinations or hospitalisation. At autopsy, generalised atherosclerosis, concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle and arteriolonephrosclerosis were found in addition to microvascular fibrinoid necroses and thromboses in the brain and kidneys, which were almost certainly caused by arterial hypertension evolving from benign into malignant stage. We discuss the differential diagnosis and give a review of the literature.
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PMID:Hypertensive encephalopathy mimicking brainstem tumour in psychiatric patient. 1511 44

Patients with stages I and II of vascular encephalopathy developing on the background of atherosclerosis were treated with ascovertin during 21 days. Ascovertin is a complex of flavonoid dihydroquercetin and ascorbic acid. The study group included 21 patients aged 45-65 years and a comparison group consisted of 10 age-matched patients un treated with ascovertin. The ascovertin treatment relieved headache, reduced vertigo and fatigability, improved cognitive functions. The reliable diminishing of whole blood viscosity due to improvement of cellular rheology indices (decrease of aggregation and increase of erythrocyte deformability as well as decrease of indices of lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membrane and blood plasma) was observed in the stydy group but not in the comparison one.
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PMID:[Clinical efficacy of a novel hemorheological drug ascovertin in patients with vascular encephalopathy]. 1584 24

The aim of the work was to assess extra- and intracranial venous hemodynamics in patients with circulatory disorder-induced encephalopathy (DE). Altogether 114 DE patients were examined. There were 46 women and 68 men aged 43 to 78 years (mean age 59.6+/-12.5 years). As dependent on the clinical manifestations the patients were distributed into groups: stage 1 DE was present in 36 patients, stage 2 DE in 47>> and stage 3 DE was identified in 31 patients. 82.78% of the examined had arterial hypertension (AH), the mean standing of which accounted for 9.7+/-7.2 years. The control group accrued 36 practically normal persons aged 36 to 62 years (mean age 47.6+/-11.3 years). All the patients were provided standard neurologic examination, magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) of the brain with venography of the brachiocephalic veins and venous sinuses of the brain, Color Doppler Imaging of the extracranial vessels, and transcranial Doppler. The patients complained primarily of headache, dizziness, instability and staggering on walking, memory and work fitness decrease, and irritability. Atherosclerotic plaques which were primarily homogeneous (types IV and V according to the classification by Geroulakos et al., 1993) were identified in the carotid arteries in 76 (62%) patients. In 48 (42%) patients, stenoses were bilateral. Hemodynamically significant (>50%) stenoses were present in 42 (34%) persons. In most cases, the patients showed dilatation of the jugular veins and a mean reduction of the flow intensity to 14+/-8.1 cm/s as compared to the control group (20.6+/-11.3 cm/s). The tendency toward flow intensity lowering associated with its phasic nature disorder was particularly well-defined in patients with stage 3 DE and a long-term history of AH. On examination of the parameters of cerebral venous circulation the patients with stage 1 DE tended to the rise of the linear flow velocity (LFV) in the basal veins of Rozenthal and in the direct sinus. However, no significant changes in the PI parameters were recorded. In the patient group with stages 2 and 3 DE, there was an appreciable rise of the LFV in the deep veins in the presence of a remarkable PI lowering (the flow velocity in the vein of Rozenthal 21.8+/-7.2 cm/s in stage 2 DE, and 24.4+/-7.2 cm/s in stage 1 DE). In 87 (79%) cases, MRT revealed the signs of diffuse ischemic lesion of the brain. Fifty-five (48%) patients were diagnosed to have leukoarayos whereas in 48 (42%) cases, there were identified multiple lacunar infarctions, primarily of the deep cerebral segments. Ten (8%) patients demonstrated type 1 Arnold-Chiari abnormalities -- hypoplasia of the large cerebral cistern and 4 patients had porto-cerebellar atrophy (megacysterna magna). Analysis of the MRV revealed, in the majority of cases (in 67 or 59%), developmental abnormality of the drainage system of the brain. Thus, 42 (37%) patients were diagnosed to have hypoplasia of one of the transverse sinuses (of the right one in 23 cases and of the left one in 19 cases); 17 (15%) persons had aplasia of the transverse sinus. Eight patients showed hypoplasia of the sigmoid sinuses (of the right one in 5 cases and of the left one in 3 cases). In all the cases of developmental abnormalities of the venous sinuses, there was a compensatory dilatation of the contralateral sinus and in some cases, there were visualized the upper and lower sinuses, the identification of which in health is difficult. So, atherosclerosis of AH-induced lesion of the brachiocephalic arteries interferes with the action of the physiological "arteriovenous pump" thereby provoking venous congestion. Progression of the process is associated with depletion of the compensatory adaptive potentialities of the collateral venous outflow which (especially in concomitant developmental abnormality in the region of the posterior cranial fossa and venous sinuses) favours aggravation of venous circulatory distress, the rise of the CSF pulse pressure and the emergence of benign intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus followed by cerebral atrophy.
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PMID:[Cerebral venous hemodynamics in chronic disorders of cerebral circulation]. 1603 1

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been used to treat patients with numerous disorders, including stroke. This treatment has been shown to decrease cerebral edema, normalize water content in the brain, decrease the severity of brain infarction, and maintain blood-brain barrier integrity. In addition, HBO therapy attenuates motor deficits, decreases the risks of sequelae, and prevents recurrent cerebral circulatory disorders, thereby leading to improved outcomes and survival. Hyperbaric oxygen also accelerates the regression of atherosclerotic lesions, promotes antioxidant defenses, and suppresses the proliferation of macrophages and foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. Although no medical treatment is available for patients with cerebral palsy, in some studies, HBO therapy has improved the function of damaged cells, attenuated the effects of hypoxia on the neonatal brain, enhanced gross motor function and fine motor control, and alleviated spasticity. In the treatment of patients with migraine, HBO therapy has been shown to reduce intracranial pressure significantly and abort acute attacks of migraine, reduce migraine headache pain, and prevent cluster headache. In studies that investigated the effects of HBO therapy on the damaged brain, the treatment was found to inhibit neuronal death, arrest the progression of radiation-induced neurologic necrosis, improve blood flow in regions affected by chronic neurologic disease as well as aerobic metabolism in brain injury, and accelerate the resolution of clinical symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygen has also been reported to accelerate neurologic recovery after spinal cord injury by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction in the motor cortex and spinal cord, arresting the spread of hemorrhage, reversing hypoxia, and reducing edema. HBO has enhanced wound healing in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. The results of HBO therapy in the treatment of patients with stroke, atherosclerosis, cerebral palsy, intracranial pressure, headache, and brain and spinal cord injury are promising and warrant further investigation.
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PMID:Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of patients with cerebral stroke, brain trauma, and neurologic disease. 1651 Mar 83

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes (RCVS) comprise a group of diverse conditions, all characterized by reversible multifocal narrowing of the cerebral arteries heralded by sudden (thunderclap), severe headaches with or without associated neurologic deficits. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes are clinically important because they affect young persons and can be complicated by ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. The differential diagnosis of RCVS includes conditions associated with thunderclap headache and conditions that cause irreversible or progressive cerebral artery narrowing, such as intracranial atherosclerosis and cerebral vasculitis. Misdiagnosis as primary cerebral vasculitis and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is common because of overlapping clinical and angiographic features. However, unlike these more ominous conditions, RCVS is usually self-limited: Resolution of headaches and vasoconstriction occurs over a period of days to weeks. In this review, we describe our current understanding of RCVS; summarize its key clinical, laboratory, and imaging features; and discuss strategies for diagnostic evaluation and treatment.
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PMID:Narrative review: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes. 1720 Feb 20

A 73-year-old woman was referred to our hospital to investigate dilatation of an aortic arch which had been detected by a chest roentgenogram and severe aortic valve regurgitation detected by echocardiography. On admission, a computed tomography scan of the chest showed a large fusiform ascending aortic aneurysm. She had not shown any symptoms such as headache or polymyalgia rheumatica and had no significant coronary atherosclerosis. She underwent aneurysmectomy and reconstruction of the ascending aorta using cardiopulmonary bypass without aortic valve replacement, and pathological examination of the aneurismal wall revealed giant cell arteritis (GCA). Preoperatively, she did not have any temporal pain, and no signs of inflammation were detected serologically. Postoperatively, aortic valve regurgitation improved and she did well. However, three months after the surgery, she died suddenly due to the rupture or dissection of aorta. In the Japanese population, GCA is reportedly a rare cause of aortic aneurysm. However, retrospective studies show that GCA affects the aorta and that thoracic aortic aneurysm is a possible complication of GCA. In cases of the thoracic aortic aneurysms with unknown etiology, there is a possibility that GCA is the cause of the aortic aneurysm.
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PMID:Case of isolated thoracic aortic aneurysm as a manifestation of undiscovered giant cell arteritis. 1731 Aug 5


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