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

The results of prospective studies on the relations between the plasma concentration of total homocysteine (tHcy) and B-vitamins, on the one hand, and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality, on the other hand, are inconclusive and scarce considering the relation with B-vitamins. We prospectively determined these relations in a case-cohort study. The full-cohort existed in approximately 36,000 Dutch adults aged 20-59 years at baseline. The statistical analyses were done with a random sample from the cohort (n=630) complemented with all subjects who died of CHD (n=102) during a mean follow-up of 10.3 years. All subjects reported the absence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) at baseline. The plasma concentrations of tHcy, folate, PLP, and vitamin B12 were determined in samples obtained at baseline. Men with a tHcy concentration in the highest tertile (T3) compared with men in the lowest tertile (T1) had a relative risk (RR) of 1.14 for CHD (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50, 2.61) after adjusting for age, study center, hypertension, HDL and total cholesterol, smoking, and creatinine. For women, this RR was 2.04 (95% CI: 0.48, 8.62). For each 5 micromol/l increase in tHcy, the RR of CHD was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.83-1.29) for men and women combined. In women only, high folate levels were associated with a statistically significant protection of fatal CHD (T3 versus T1; RR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.87). Plasma PLP (B6) and vitamin B12 concentrations were not associated with CHD risk. We conclude that elevated tHcy concentrations do not seem to be a risk factor for CHD mortality in these relatively young healthy Dutch subjects free of baseline CVD. Higher folate concentrations may be protective of CHD, but this needs confirmation.
Atherosclerosis 2003 Feb
PMID:Coronary heart disease mortality, plasma homocysteine, and B-vitamins: a prospective study. 1253 51

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection which is adequate for satisfactory sexual intercourse. It is a significant male health problem affecting approximately 150 million men worldwide. This value is expected to more than double by the year 2025. The incidence of ED increases sharply with age since it is a common cross-cultural denominator, affecting 19 to 64% of men aged 40 to 80 years, both in developing and industrialized countries. Epidemiological studies may underestimate the true dimensions of the problem because of the embarrassment or stigma that is associated with ED. Men with ED may experience diminished self-image and self-esteem, anxiety and fears of rejection, and even depression as psychogenic factors. Pathologic conditions which are commonly encountered in the ageing male (diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, etc) as well as chronic diseases (arthritis, renal and hepatic failure, pulmonary disease) represent a frequent cause of organic ED and are often treated with medications that can interfere with sexual function at central and/or peripheral level. In addition, incorrect lifestyle--i.e. obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol or drug abuse--may all contribute to the onset of ED. Finally, trauma or surgery affecting either the nervous system or interfering with the blood supply to the penis are associated with increased incidence of ED.
 ...
PMID:Pathology of erection. 1283 29

This clinical study investigated the possible associations of male sex hormone with the extensiveness of coronary artery lesions, coronary heart disease risk factors and ejection fraction of the heart. Ninety six Caucasian male subjects were recruited, 76 with positive and 20 with negative coronary angiograms. Early morning, prior to haemodynamic examination all of them had determined levels of total testosterone, free testosterone, free androgen index (FAI), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), oestradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, plasma lipids, fibrinogen and glucose. The ejection fraction and the extensiveness of coronary lesions of each subject was assessed on the basis of x-ray examination results using Quantitative Coronary Angiography (QCA) and Left Ventricular Analysis (LVA) packages on the TCS Acquisition workstation, Medcon. Men with proven coronary heart disease had significantly lower levels of total testosterone (11.9 vs 21.2 nmol/l), free testosterone (45.53 vs 86.10 pmol/l), free androgen index (36.7 vs 47.3 IU) and oestradiol (109.4 vs 146.4 pmol/l). The level of testosterone was negatively associated with the DUKE Index. The most essential negative correlation was observed between SHBG and atherogenic lipid profile (low high-density lipoprotein, high triglycerides). Ejection fraction was substantially lower in patients (51.85 vs 61.30) (without prior myocardial infarction) with low levels of free-testosterone (23.85 vs. 86.10 pmol/l) and FAI (28.4 vs 47.3 IU). A negative correlation was observed between total testosterone, free testosterone, FAI and blood pressure, especially with diastolic pressure. Men with proven coronary atherosclerosis had lower levels of endogenous androgens than the healthy controls. For the first time in clinical settings it has been demonstrated that low levels of free-testosterone was characteristic for patients with low ejection fraction. Numerous hypothesies for this action can be proposed but all require a proper evaluation process. The main determinant of atherogenic plasma lipid was low levels of SHBG suggesting its main role in developing atheroscerotic lesions.
 ...
PMID:An assessment of correlations between endogenous sex hormone levels and the extensiveness of coronary heart disease and the ejection fraction of the left ventricle in males. 1367 85

The fasting atherogenic dyslipidemia of visceral obesity, which includes the presence of small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, is predictive of an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). It has also been suggested that progression of atherosclerosis may be accelerated in the presence of postprandial hyperlipidemia independently from the fasting dyslipidemic state. Studies have shown that the best predictor of postprandial hyperlipidemia and of the small, dense LDL phenotype is fasting triglyceride (TG) concentration. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia on the variation in LDL particle size. Fasting (0 hour) and postprandial changes (2, 4, 6, and 8 hours) in LDL particle size were measured by nondenaturing 2% to 16% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in a sample of 49 men (mean age +/- SD: 46.6 +/- 9.2 years) who underwent a standardized breakfast with a high-fat (64% calories as fat) content. The postprandial increase in TG levels was associated with a transient reduction in LDL particle size, the most substantial reduction being observed 4 hours (-1.0 +/- 2.4 A) after the oral fat load. Although there were strong correlations between TG-rich lipoprotein (TRL)-TG levels and LDL particle size in the fasting state (r=-0.71, P<.0001) as well as 4 hours after the oral fat load (r=-0.70, P<.0001), changes in TRL-TG concentrations during the postprandial state (from time 0 to 4 hours) were not associated with changes in LDL particle size during this period (r=-0.04, not significant [NS]). However, among subgroups of men matched for similar fasting TRL-TG levels (n=12), subjects with the highest total area under the curve (AUC) of TRL-TG after the fat load were characterized by smaller LDL particle size at 6 and 8 hours compared with men with the lowest AUC TRL-TG (P<.02). Men displaying the highest postprandial AUC TRL-TG were also characterized by the greatest accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (AT) (P<.05). These results indicate that the hypertriglyceridemic (hyperTG) state induced by a high-fat meal is associated with a transient reduction in LDL peak particle diameter, which is not proportionate, however, to the level of TG achieved in the postprandial state. Furthermore, despite similar TG levels at baseline, viscerally obese men with an impaired postprandial lipemia had smaller LDL particles at the end of the oral fat load than obese men with a lower accumulation of visceral AT.
 ...
PMID:Impact of postprandial variation in triglyceridemia on low-density lipoprotein particle size. 1462 94

The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is responsible for the exchange of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters between lipoprotein particles leading to an increased hepatic clearance of HDL-cholesteryl esters. A high CETP activity reduces serum HDL levels, whereas persons without CETP activity have high HDL levels. We investigated the association of the TaqIB CETP polymorphism and various parameters of the insulin resistance syndrome in a cross sectional population based study. We included 1029 persons without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus consecutively enrolled in our SAPHIR program (Salzburg Atherosclerosis Prevention program in persons with a High Infarction Risk). Numerous clinical and laboratory data were accomplished. Insulin sensitivity was measured by a short insulin tolerance test. The TaqIB CETP polymorphism was determined by PCR, TaqI restriction and electrophoresis. 35.2% were homozygous for the prevalence (B1B1), 46.7% were heterozygous (B1B2), and 18.1% homozygous for the absence (B2B2) of the restriction site. HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 were lower and small dense low-density lipoproteins (sdLDL) higher in B1B1 compared to B2B1 and B2B2 persons. In women, we found a significant interaction effect between CETP genotype and adiposity for HDL cholesterol. B1B1 women with a BMI and a waist circumference above the median had 9.7 mg/dl lower HDL than B1B2 and 9.1 mg/dl lower HDL than B2B2 women (P < 0.001). In men, no interaction effect but a marked genotype to HDL correlation was found. There was a high CETP effect on sdLDL detected in men (P = 0.001). B1B1 men had sdLDL in 36%, B1B2 in 24.6%, and B2B2 in only 14.5%. Men with adiposity and insulin resistance had twice as many sdLDL as insulin sensitive men. We found a significant sex specific effect of the TaqIB CETP polymorphism on the insulin resistance parameters HDL-cholesterol and sdLDL in an Austrian population based study.
 ...
PMID:Cholesteryl ester transfer protein TaqIB polymorphism and its relation to parameters of the insulin resistance syndrome in an Austrian cohort. 1558 73

Low concentrations of selenium (Se) predict mortality and cardiovascular diseases in some populations. The effect of Se on in vivo indicators of oxidative stress and inflammation, two important features of atherosclerosis, in human populations is largely unexplored. This study investigated the longitudinal association between serum selenium (s-Se) and a golden standard indicator of oxidative stress in vivo (8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha, a major F2-isoprostane), an indicator of cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated inflammation (prostaglandin F2alpha), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA) in a follow-up study of 27 years. The s-Se was measured in 615 Swedish men at 50 years of age in a health investigation. The status of oxidative stress and inflammation was evaluated in a re-investigation 27 years later by quantification of urinary 8-iso-PGF2alpha and 15-keto-dihydro-PGF2alpha (a major metabolite of PGF2alpha) and serum hsCRP, SAA and IL-6. Men in the highest quartile of s-Se at age 50 had decreased levels of 8-iso-PGF2alpha compared to all lower quartiles and decreased levels of PGF2alpha compared to all lower quartiles at follow-up. These associations were independent of BMI, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking, alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene at baseline. The s-Se was not associated with hsCRP, SAA or IL-6 at follow-up. In conclusion, high concentrations of s-Se predict reduced levels of oxidative stress and subclinical COX-mediated (but not cytokine-mediated) inflammation in a male population. The associations between Se, oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively, might be related to the proposed cardiovascular protective property of Se.
 ...
PMID:Serum selenium predicts levels of F2-isoprostanes and prostaglandin F2alpha in a 27 year follow-up study of Swedish men. 1603 56

The relations between the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) Type A score and coronary atherosclerosis and spasm were examined in 192 patients (115 men and 77 women) undergoing coronary angiography. Thirty-nine men (34%) and 12 women (16%) had significant (>or=75%) coronary stenosis. In 97 patients (54 men and 43 women) with no significant coronary stenosis, a coronary spasm provocation test by 0.2 to 0.4 mg of ergometrine was performed, by which a significant focal spasm (>or=75% reduction of luminal diameter) was induced in 22 men (40%) and 5 women (12%). Men who showed a significant focal spasm had a higher Type A score than men who showed no such spasm (1.9 +/- 8.4 vs. -2.4 x 8.3, p < 0.05). Discriminant analysis in male patients revealed that the induction of coronary spasm can be predicted by the JAS Type A score and smoking habit (p = 0.04). No such association was found for female patients. These results suggest that the Type A behavior pattern as assessed by the JAS may be associated with coronary spasm in Japanese men without significant coronary stenosis.
 ...
PMID:Association between type A behavior pattern and coronary artery spasm in Japanese patients. 1625 Jul 53

Despite a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors, men of African origin have less coronary atherosclerosis, as measured by coronary calcification, than whites. In part, this is thought to be because of the less atherogenic lipoprotein profile observed in men of African origin, characterized by lower triglycerides and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. We hypothesized that the -514C>T polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) plays a significant role in determining a less atherogenic lipoprotein profile observed in men of African origin. Previously conducted studies of the LIPC -514C>T polymorphism in African Americans may have been confounded by a higher level of European admixture; in addition, the results from these studies do not necessarily apply to other African populations because gene-environment interactions may differ. Thus, we compared nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-measured lipoprotein subclass patterns and LIPC -514C>T genotypes in population-based samples of older white American (n = 532) and African American (n = 97) men from the Cardiovascular Health Study to those among older, less admixed, Afro-Caribbean men (n = 205) from the Tobago Health Study. Men of African origin had a more favorable lipoprotein profile than whites. In addition, levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride, and large and small very low-density lipoprotein, small low-density lipoprotein, as well as very low-density lipoprotein particle size, were remarkably lower in Afro-Caribbean men than in either African American or white men. The frequency of the LIPC -514T allele was much higher in Afro-Caribbeans (0.57) and in African Americans (0.49) than in whites (0.20). The -514T allele in both populations of African origin, but not in whites, was associated with elevated large HDL and greater HDL size. Our findings indicate that the higher frequency of the LIPC -514T allele found in men of African origin living in different environments significantly contributes to the more favorable distribution of HDL subclasses compared with whites.
 ...
PMID:Lipoprotein subclass and particle size differences in Afro-Caribbeans, African Americans, and white Americans: associations with hepatic lipase gene variation. 1632 26

Interleukin (IL)-18 is a novel proinflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in innate and acquired immunity, making it a likely inflammatory candidate in atherosclerosis. We investigated whether circulating IL-18 levels were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in a community population. Carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 1111 randomly selected community subjects, aged 27-77 years. Baseline levels of IL-18, IL-6, high sensitive CRP (hsCRP), fibrinogen and white cell counts were measured along with conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Men had higher mean IL-18 levels than women (P<0.0001). Spearman rank correlations (r(s)) showed that IL-18 was weakly correlated with all inflammatory markers in the whole population (r(s) between 0.11 and 0.23, all P<0.001). IL-18 was also correlated with conventional risk factors including waist-hip ratio, BMI, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL (inversely) and pack-years smoking (r(s) between 0.18 and 0.39, all P<0.001) but not with LDL-cholesterol. Independent predictors of IL-18 concentrations were waist-hip ratio, HDL, IL-6, hsCRP and hypertension. There was a positive univariate association of IL-18 levels with carotid IMT (P<0.001) and plaque prevalence (P<0.001) but no residual association after adjustment for conventional risk factors (both P>0.05). In a cross-sectional community population, IL-18 levels were related to traditional risk factors and inflammatory markers but were not independently associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis 2006 Dec
PMID:Interleukin-18 levels are not associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in a community population. The Perth Carotid Ultrasound Disease Assessment Study (CUDAS). 1643 77

Heart failure studies have suggested important differences between women and men both in heart failure etiology and in survival. Clinical trials and long-standing perceptions of the typical heart failure patient have related far more to men than to women, while more women than men in the United States may be hospitalized with heart failure. The goal of this study was to analyze ADHERE Registry data, the largest database of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patient hospitalizations available, to gain insight into the effect of gender on medical history, clinical characteristics, and discharge counseling. This preliminary study analyzed the 85,617 ADHF hospitalizations in the ADHERE Registry as of October 2003, with 44,340 (52%) women and 41,276 (48%) men included. Women were significantly older (mean age 74.6 +/- 13.7 years) than men (mean age 70.2 +/- 13.9 years, P < .0001). Women were more likely to have a history of hypertension (75% vs. 69%, P < .0001) and a systolic blood pressure > 140 mm Hg (56% vs. 44%, P < .0001). History of coronary artery disease was more common in men (64% vs. 51%, P < .0001). Other risk factors for atherosclerosis, including smoking (17% vs. 10%, P < .0001) and hyperlipidemia (37% vs. 32%, P < .0001), were also more common in men. Men had a significantly lower mean left ventricular ejection fraction (32.9%, N = 30,831) than women (42.1%, N = 29,744); 51% of women had preserved left ventricular function (EF > 40%) compared to only 28% of men (P < 0.0001). At discharge, adherence to 3 of the 4 JCAHO standardized measures of quality of care far heart failure patients were documented more frequently for men than for women. A significantly smaller proportion of women received discharge instructions on management of diet, weight, and medications (30.1% vs. 32.8%); received or were scheduled for assessment of left ventricular function (81.5% vs. 85.6%); or were discharged with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor prescription if appropriate (72.6% vs. 73.9%). Real-world data from the ADHERE Registry may lead to better recognition of the signs and symptoms of heart failure in women, increase the proportion of women who are correctly diagnosed, and may help to support gender-specific considerations in heart failure guidelines.
 ...
PMID:Reshaping our perception of the typical hospitalized heart failure patient: a gender analysis of data from the ADHERE Heart Failure Registry. 1648 29


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>