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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Platelet activation, with subsequent formation of thromboxane A2 (TxA2), is thought to play a role in the development of arterial occlusion. In patients with severe atherosclerosis of the lower limbs, characterized by leg ulcers and rest pain, the basal formation of TxA2 and prostacyclin (PGI2) is increased. Corresponding data in patients with more moderate atherosclerosis of the lower limbs have not been reported. Since the capacity to physical exercise is not blunted in such patients proper evaluation of their TxA2-PGI2 synthesis should comprise not only assessment of the basal formation, but also TxA2/PGI2 biosynthesis during conditions of elevated cardiovascular activity. To address this, we analysed these eicosanoids in patients with a history of intermittent claudication. Urinary dinor-metabolites of TxB2 and PGI2 (Tx-M and PGI-M, respectively) were estimated by gas chromatography/negative ion-chemical ionization mass spectrometry in samples collected prior to, during and immediately after 20 min of severe treadmill exertion. The basal excretion of Tx-M was 105 +/- 26 pg/mg creatinine. It was not changed during exercise, but increased to 176 +/- 48 pg/mg creatinine (P less than 0.05) during the recovery. The basal excretion of PGI-M was 142 +/- 25 pg/mg creatinine. The PGI-M response to exercise varied from no change at all to a 30-fold increase, without any obvious correlation to experienced leg pain, walking distance or other recorded variables. During the recovery period the outflow of PGI-M was significantly higher than at rest (482 +/- 145 pg/mg creatinine; P less than 0.01). We conclude that in patients with intermittent claudication due to atherosclerosis (1) platelet activation does not occur during the course of the exercise, and (2) vascular prostacyclin formation can be dissociated from of TxA2 synthesis. The observed increase in PGI-M in some of the patients is suggested to reflect tissue ischaemia induced by the lack of adequate hyperaemia during exercise.
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PMID:Excretion of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin metabolites during treadmill exercise in patients with intermittent claudication. 340 85

Platelet activation and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Evidence has been accumulating that in the evolution of chronic arterial obstructive disease (CAOD) platelets are also crucially important. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to assess plasma levels of PDGF in patients with different degrees of CAOD according to Fontaine. Twenty patients (17 men, 3 women, mean age sixty-eight +/- seven years) with intermittent claudication (Fontaine stage II) entered the study and their PDGF levels were assessed by radioimmunoassay. Ten additional patients (7 men, 3 women, mean age seventy-three +/- seven years) with more severe CAOD (leg pain at rest/skin ulcers) were also studied. Ten healthy subjects (6 men, 4 women, mean age fifty-four +/- six years) comprised the control group. Patients in stage II were reinvestigated after sixty days of a "training" procedure. Patients with both intermittent claudication and more severe disease had higher levels of PDGF than controls (controls 165.9 +/- 119.1 pg/mL; Fontaine stage II 403.5 +/- 218.4; Fontaine stage III/IV 578.1 +/- 637.2: ANOVA P = 0.04) with no difference between the two groups of patients. After the training period, PDGF levels were significantly higher than at baseline (863.7 +/- 819.6 pg/mL vs 403.5 +/- 218.4) but without significant improvement of physical performance. The elevation of PDGF levels in blood from CAOD patients could be the result of marked platelet activation due to interaction with a widely damaged peripheral vasculature. The same was not true for coronary heart disease, in which normal values of PDGF in venous blood were found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in patients with different degrees of chronic arterial obstructive disease. 816 Oct 7

An eighty-four-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of pain at rest in the lower extremities. On physical examination, trophic changes of the skin and petechiae in the limbs were observed. Computed tomographic scan of the abdomen showed focal renal infarctions and calcification of the descending aorta. Moreover, radionuclide imaging of the arterial system revealed complete obstructions of the two right iliac arteries and the left external iliac artery, where collateral flows were observed. Laboratory examination showed a severe thrombocytopenia caused by immunoglobulin G (IgG)-type autoantibody against platelets. He was diagnosed as having arteriosclerosis obliterans complicated by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, although no known risk factors promoting atherosclerosis other than age were evident. In such a case with hemorrhagic diathesis, a hemorheologic agent and the vasodilator prostaglandin could confer advantages in relieving and controlling the ischemic leg pain without hemorrhagic complications. Moreover, small doses of the initial prednisolone therapy for ITP might also be recommended to avoid thrombus formations in the atherosclerotic lesions.
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PMID:A rare case of arteriosclerosis obliterans without prominent risk factors complicated by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. A case report. 861 16

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is a rare cause of exercise-induced leg pain. Entrapment occurs because of an abnormal relationship between the popliteal artery and the surrounding myofascial structures in the popliteal fossa. Arterial insufficiency in the affected limb arises with entrapment of the artery, commonly giving leg symptoms with exertion. The true incidence of PAES in the general population is not known. The aetiology of PAES has an embryological basis related to the development of the popliteal artery and the surrounding musculature. Many different classification schemes have been developed to differentiate the various types of abnormal anatomy that are associated with the syndrome. Repeated popliteal artery compression causes trauma to the arterial wall, leading to premature localised atherosclerosis. The pathology of PAES is believed to be progressive, with arterial thrombosis occurring in some individuals as a natural progression of the disease process. Acute ischaemia can occur if there is an occlusion of the artery or thrombosis within an aneurysm. Clinically, up to 85% of individuals diagnosed with the syndrome are males. The mean age of individuals in a large series was 28 years. The condition can be found bilaterally in 25% of cases. Most individuals present with exercise-induced leg pain, the remainder presenting with acute or chronic ischaemia. The condition can result in significant functional loss for active individuals. Surgery has been advocated to prevent the progression of the disease that is believed to be the natural history of untreated PAES. However, the little research that has been done to determine the prognosis for individuals who have undergone surgery has focused on the patency rate of the arteries after surgery and the presence or absence of complications. Research needs to be done to look at the natural history of untreated PAES and the functional status of athletes after undergoing PAES surgery.
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PMID:Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. 1046 13

Epidemiologic studies illustrate that PAD is a very common finding when screening is performed in older adults. The outcomes in those with PAD in population studies reflect and extend the findings from clinical studies of PAD, confirming that older adults with PAD are disabled and have a high risk for CVD and total mortality. With the aging of the population, the prevalence of PAD is increasing. It is common in both men and women and increases in prevalence with age, such that at least 12% of community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older will have significant disease on noninvasive testing, most without classic intermittent claudication. Furthermore, PAD is strongly related to other manifestations of CVD and its risk factors. Those with PAD identified in epidemiologic studies have a two- to three-fold risk in CVD morbidity and mortality. Current treatment goals for PAD patients include improving function, primarily using exercise and medical therapy, and reduction of systemic risk and can be extended to those identified by screening. In addition, PAD must be thought of as a marker of advanced systemic atherosclerosis. Inasmuch as the risk of CVD and mortality in those with PAD is similar to those with a history of MI or stroke, those with PAD can be approached with the same measures for secondary CVD prevention as recommended for MI and stroke survivors. A simple bedside measure of the AAI can be used to improve the detection of PAD in clinical practice. Although there is no study that shows directly that screening and preventive treatment will reduce complications of PAD, a preventive approach in PAD patients is likely to improve overall survival, reduce MI, and will, perhaps, also reduce the risk of disabling leg pain and amputation. Future descriptions of the natural history of PAD in ongoing cohort studies may indicate that this is already beginning to occur.
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PMID:Peripheral arterial disease: insights from population studies of older adults. 1098 19

Most estimates of the prevalence of peripheral atherosclerosis have been based on intermittent claudication or lower limb blood flow. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence of underlying femoral plaque, and to determine its association with other cardiovascular disease and risk factors. Presence of plaque was identified using ultrasound in a random sample of men (n=417) and women (n=367) aged 56-77 years. Coexistent cardiovascular disease, exercise and smoking were determined by questionnaire, blood pressure was recorded, and serum cholesterol and plasma fibrinogen were determined. Of the 784 subjects that were scanned, 502 (64%) demonstrated atherosclerotic plaque. Disease prevalence increased significantly with age (P<0.0001), and was more common in men (67.1 vs. 59.4%, P<0.05). Subjects with femoral plaque had a significantly greater odds of previous ischaemic heart disease (OR 2. 2, 95% CI 1.3, 3.7) and angina (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.03, 2.7), but not of stroke or leg pain on exercise. Current and ex-smoking, raised serum total cholesterol and plasma fibrinogen levels, but not blood pressure, were associated with an increased risk of femoral plaque, independent of age and sex. Frequent exercise and a high HDL cholesterol were significantly associated with lower risk. In conclusion, therefore, atherosclerotic disease of the femoral artery affects almost two-thirds of the population in late middle age. It is associated with an increased prevalence of ischaemic heart disease and angina, but whether detecting at risk individuals using ultrasound offers advantages over simpler and less expensive risk factor scoring requires evaluation in trials.
Atherosclerosis 2000 Sep
PMID:Femoral atherosclerosis in an older British population: prevalence and risk factors. 1099 52

The group of aged people--in particular of highly aged persons--increases and with it also the risk of polymorbidity. Atherosclerosis often occurs in the elderly population; it is not astonishing that atherosclerosis also increasingly affects the renal arteries. Another problem in this age group is chronic back- and leg pain. Considering a medicine that respects the patient's attitude and is reasonable and cost-effective, the care and therapy of a polymorbid patient offers a special challenge in the modern evidence-based medicine.
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PMID:[Multiple morbidity in a patient (87 years old)]. 1121 12

Stiffening and thickening of arterial wall are two important components of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of femoral artery wall stiffness on clinical manifestation of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The subjects were 315 patients with type 2 diabetes. Presence of intermittent claudication and/or leg pain at rest and reduced ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI<0.9) were used as a subjective and an objective index of PVD, respectively. Femoral artery intima-media thickness (FA-IMT) and stiffness parameter beta (FA-stiffness beta) were measured by ultrasound methods. Symptomatic patients (N=58) showed greater values for both FA-IMT and FA-stiffness beta than those without symptom (N=257). Similarly, patients with reduced ABI (N=56) had greater FA-IMT and FA-stiffness beta than those without (N=259). However, correlation between FA-IMT and FA-stiffness beta was not impressive, especially in the symptomatic patients. To evaluate the effect of FA-stiffness beta on PVD symptoms, the subjects were divided into three subgroups according to FA-IMT, and then FA-stiffness beta was compared between those with and without PVD symptoms in each subgroup. The symptomatic patients had greater FA-stiffness beta values than the asymptomatic subjects in all the three subgroups. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of PVD symptoms was associated more closely with increased FA-stiffness beta than with increased FA-IMT, whereas reduced ABI was associated more closely with FA-IMT than with FA-stiffness beta. These data suggest that stiffening of arterial wall has a significant impact on PVD manifestations, particularly on the leg symptoms, in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Atherosclerosis 2001 Sep
PMID:Femoral artery wall thickness and stiffness in evaluation of peripheral vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus. 1150 Jan 93

The Minnesota Regional Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening Program was designed to define the efficacy of community PAD detection efforts, to assess the disease-specific and health-related morbidity, to assess PAD awareness rates, and to determine the magnitude of atherosclerosis disease risk factors and the intensity of their management. The target population was recruited via mass media efforts directed at individuals over 50 years of age and those with leg pain with ambulation. Screening sessions included assessments of the ankle-brachial index, blood pressure, fasting lipid profile, and use of validated tools to detect symptomatic claudication (by the Modified WHO-Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire), walking impairment (Walking Impairment Questionnaire - WIQ), quality of life (MOS SF-36), PAD awareness, and the intensity of PAD medical therapeutic interventions. PAD was defined as any ankle-brachial index < or =0.85 or a history of lower extremity revascularization. The program evaluated 347 individuals and identified 92 subjects with PAD and 255 subjects without PAD, yielding a detection rate of 26.5%. Individuals with PAD were older, tended to have higher blood pressures, and had a significant walking impairment and an impaired health-related quality of life compared with the non-PAD subjects. Current rates of tobacco use were low. Lipid-lowering, estrogen replacement, anti-platelet, and antihypertensive medications and exercise therapies were underutilized in the PAD cohort. Peripheral arterial disease awareness was low in these community-identified patients. This Program demonstrated that individuals with PAD can be efficiently identified within the community, but that current standards of medical care are low. These data can assist in the future development of PAD awareness, education, and treatment programs.
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PMID:The Minnesota Regional Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening Program: toward a definition of community standards of care. 1153 Sep 70

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), characterized by obstruction of the arteries in the lower limbs, is an important manifestation of atherosclerosis. There are >10 million individuals with PAD in the United States alone, and as the overall population in developed countries ages, PAD will become increasingly prevalent. Many individuals with PAD are asymptomatic and therefore remain undiagnosed and untreated. Most patients with PAD are at high risk for having a serious coronary or cerebrovascular event. Even for patients in whom symptoms, such as leg pain, are clearly evident, current treatment strategies tend to ignore the systemic nature of the disease and do not reduce overall atherosclerotic risk. Proven medical treatment options for patients with intermittent claudication include smoking cessation, exercise, and cilostazol. Pentoxifylline appears marginally effective. Several novel therapies for PAD are currently under investigation. Of particular interest are the observations from some studies that show that lipid-lowering therapy might be of benefit to PAD patients. The results of 2 ongoing prospective trials of dyslipidemic therapy in claudicants should further clarify the benefits of reducing serum lipid levels in patients with established PAD.
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PMID:Systemic atherosclerosis risk and the mandate for intervention in atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease. 1159 99


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