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Query: UMLS:C0007222 (cardiovascular disease)
 65,817 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hypertension is one of the primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease, especially coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, and congestive heart failure. Recent analysis of the numerous prospective clinical trials of the efficacy of antihypertensive therapy performed during the past quarter century has shown that active treatment reduces mortality and cerebrovascular disease but has not prevented CAD. The reason for this paradox--that lowering blood pressure does not reduce CAD mortality or morbidity--is uncertain. During the past several years, it has become clear that hyperinsulinemia and peripheral insulin resistance constitute the link between hypertension, obesity, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, three conditions in which the rate of CAD is very high. Other studies have shown that hyperinsulinemia is a potent cardiovascular risk factor. Epidemiologic surveys and retrospective reviews of clinical experience have pointed out the surprising fact that when hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus occur in the same patient, hypertension is likely to be diagnosed first and the risk of developing diabetes is much higher if antihypertensive drugs (thiazide diuretics or beta-adrenoreceptor blockers) were given. Recently, careful studies have shown that both thiazide diuretic and beta-adrenoreceptor blockers worsen insulin sensitivity, whereas angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (captopril) and peripheral alpha 1-blockers (prazosin) improve it and also favorably affect the levels of other atherogenic risk factors. Although it is too early to be certain, this information suggests that, pending the results of long-term clinical trials that measure clinical events, treatment of hypertension might be better able to reduce CAD if it were directed at improving insulin sensitivity. Nonpharmacologic measures that reduce hyperinsulinemia, weight loss, and exercise should be vigorously recommended, and pharmacologic therapy should be aimed at avoiding drugs that worsen insulin sensitivity, as long as blood pressure is successfully reduced.
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PMID:The coronary artery disease paradox: the role of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance and implications for therapy. 169 28

Women with upper body obesity are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several studies have demonstrated a reduced fibrinolytic activity in these patients, mainly due to an enhanced activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Since an increase of androgenic activity is a feature of central obesity in women, the present study was aimed at evaluating the possibility of a relationship between androgens and PAI-1 (antigen and activity) in 20 premenopausal women, 10 with upper body obesity and 10 controls. In obese women, PAI-1 antigen showed a positive Pearson correlation with free testosterone (FT), insulin, c-peptide, triglycerides (TG), and waist to hip ratio (WHR) (P less than .01), whereas PAI-1 activity correlated positively only with insulin and WHR (P less than .01). In control women, PAI-1 antigen and activity were positively related only to TG (P less than .01). When we applied the multiple regression model with stepwise backward method to our data, both PAI-1 antigen and activity did not maintain any significant association. However, when the data from both the groups were pooled (n = 20), and PAI-1 antigen was considered as the dependent variable, body weight (Sig T = 0.0001), TG (Sig T = 0.0053), FT (Sig T = 0.013), and luteinizing hormone (LH) (Sig T = 0.0474) met the stepwise criteria, suggesting an independent effect of each of these parameters on PAI-1 antigen. On the other hand, when PAI-1 activity was tested as the dependent variable, only body weight maintained a significant relationship with this parameter (Sig T = 0.0006).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Influence of free testosterone on antigen levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in premenopausal women with central obesity. 173 34

Corpulent male rats of the atherosclerosis prone JCR:LA-corpulent strain were fed diets supplemented with 10% by weight of olive oil or red fish oil. These rats are obese, with VLDL hyperlipidemia and marked insulin resistance. The diets were maintained to 9 months of age. Olive oil-fed rats had a 45% reduction in triglyceride concentrations with no significant changes in cholesterol or phospholipids. Red fish oil caused significant reduction in all lipid classes, with a 65% reduction in triglycerides and 35% reduction in cholesterol concentrations. Olive oil caused increases in the relative concentrations of oleic acid-containing triglycerides, while red fish oil preferentially enriched the longer chain fatty acids. There were no significant changes in insulin or glucose metabolism. The incidence of myocardial lesions, characteristic of the JCR:LA-cp strain, was unaltered by either oil-supplemented diet. These results, in a spontaneous animal model for cardiovascular disease, are consistent with other studies showing that diets rich in n-3 fatty acids do not, in themselves, confer protection against cardiovascular disease in animal models with genetically or experimentally induced lipid disorders.
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PMID:Effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids on atherosclerosis prone JCR:LA-corpulent rats. 174 17

In order to obtain more information on the quality of metabolic control and presence of secondary complications in type 2 diabetic patients treated in a hospital outpatient-clinic, we studied 124 of our diabetic patients (56 males, 68 females, age 65 (SD 11) years, duration of diabetes 9, range 1-32 years). HbA1c levels were 7.9% in patients on oral hypoglycaemic agents (n = 56), and 8.2% in insulin-treated patients (n = 59). Cholesterol and triglyceride levels tended to be lower in the insulin-treated patients. The prevalence of vascular abnormalities was high: in comparison with a population of general practice patients more patients had hypertension (56% vs 38%), coronary artery disease (48% vs 40%), and cerebrovascular disease (15% vs 6%). In addition, 35% of our diabetics had signs of peripheral artery disease. Retinopathy was present in 35 patients, microalbuminuria was found in 31 patients, proteinuria in 18 patients. The presence of microalbuminuria and proteinuria was a strong indicator for cardiovascular disease, polyneuropathy and retinopathy. The use of cardiovascular medication was high: 57 patients used antihypertensive therapy, 37 used diuretics, and 26 long-acting nitrates. Only 25 patients took no medication apart from to their diabetes therapy.
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PMID:[Regulation of diabetes and late complications in the ambulatory treatment of patients with Type II diabetes mellitus]. 174 45

The amino acid composition of the diet influences the postprandial levels of plasma amino acids along with the hormones insulin and glucagon in humans fed single test meals identical in composition except for protein source. Soy protein (hypocholesterolemic), vs. casein (hypercholesterolemic), contains a higher amount of arginine and glycine and induces an increase in postprandial arginine and glycine. Soy protein induces a low postprandial insulin/glucagon ratio in both hypercholesterolemic and normocholesterolemic subjects. Casein induces a high postprandial insulin/glucagon ratio among hypercholesterolemic subjects. Amino acids such as arginine and glycine are associated with a decrease, while lysine and branched-chain amino acids are associated with increased serum cholesterol levels. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the control of cholesterol by insulin and glucagon is regulated by dietary and plasma amino acids. From this hypothesis the insulin/glucagon ratio is proposed as an early metabolic index of the effect of dietary proteins on serum cholesterol levels, a risk factor and a common mechanism through which dietary and lifestyle factors influence cardiovascular disease.
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PMID:Plasma amino acids and the insulin/glucagon ratio as an explanation for the dietary protein modulation of atherosclerosis. 176 11

Cardiovascular disease, and in particular ischemic heart disease, is the principal cause of morbidity, functional disability, and mortality in patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes. The main risk factors for the macrovascular complications of diabetes are dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cigarette smoking. Although degree of hyperglycemia is a risk factor for microvascular complications, it is not a prominent risk factor for macrovascular complications. Nevertheless, there are theoretical reasons for believing that glycemic control could lower cardiovascular risk. For example, glycemic control may both improve clearance and suppress hepatic overproduction of very-low-density lipoprotein. Moreover, there is direct empirical evidence that improved glycemic control can favorably alter lipid profiles in type II diabetic patients. Despite this, the only clinical trial that has assessed cardiovascular mortality as an end point in diabetic subjects (i.e., the University Group Diabetes Program) failed to demonstrate a benefit of glycemic control. In this study, the insulin-variable group, which achieved sustained glycemic control relative to the placebo group, had essentially the same cardiovascular mortality as the latter group. All of the conventional lipid-lowering agents have been shown to produce favorable changes in lipid profiles in diabetic subjects. However, the optimum regimen remains to be defined. Metabolic differences between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects mean that the optimum lipid-lowering regimens for the two categories of patients may differ. For example, nicotinic acid, which is a powerful lipid-altering drug, may worsen glucose intolerance. The characteristic lipid abnormalities in type II diabetic subjects are hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, not hypercholesterolemia. Although the role of hypertriglyceridemia as a cardiovascular risk factor in the general population has been questioned, there is evidence that this lipid abnormality may play a stronger role in diabetic subjects. For all of the above reasons, there is an urgent need for large-scale clinical trials assessing cardiovascular end points and testing various strategies of improving lipid profiles in diabetic subjects, particularly given the fact that all of the current generation of lipid-lowering trials have systematically excluded diabetic patients.
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PMID:Dyslipidemia in type II diabetes. Implications for therapeutic intervention. 177 1

The prevalence of glucose intolerance and diabetic complications was determined in second-generation Japanese-American (Nisei) women and compared to previously obtained results in Nisei men. A volunteer study sample of 191 Nisei women 45-74 years old was enrolled from a study population of 1489 Nisei women born 1913-1942, raised and educated in the U.S., and residing in King County, Washington. The enrolled sample included 72 with normal glucose tolerance, 67 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 52 with non-insulin-dependent diabetes. A random sample was also drawn from the study population to form a reference sample of 157 women. Based upon observations in the reference and enrolled samples, an estimated 16% of Nisei women in the study population have diabetes and 40% IGT. These rates compare to 20% diabetes and 36% IGT previously estimated for Nisei men 45-74 years old. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and/or coronary heart disease) was highest among diabetic women, lowest in those with normal glucose tolerance, and intermediate in women with IGT. In comparison to diabetic men, there was a significantly lower frequency of neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary heart disease in diabetic women. However, hypertension occurred equally often in both. Thus Japanese-American men and women 45-74 yr old have a similar prevalence of glucose intolerance, although less severe in women, and complications, except for hypertension, are reduced in women.
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PMID:Glucose intolerance and diabetic complications among Japanese-American women. 177 9

Hyperandrogenism and lipid metabolism were shown to be related intimately. Any discussion of the nature of their relationship must include other clinical and metabolic variables such as hyperinsulinemia and UBO. Despite the many correlations among each of these factors, the appropriate sequence in the pathogenesis of these conditions has not been defined. Do conditions that result in insulin resistance (e.g., genetic defects, insulin receptor antibodies, and obesity) also lead to the development of hyperandrogenemia by direct or indirect ovarian stimulation by insulin? Does hyperandrogenism of ovarian or adrenal origin cause abnormal upper body fat distribution, in turn leading to lipid abnormalities and insulin resistance? Regardless of the issue of mechanism of causality, women with hyperandrogenism are thought to be at greater risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than their normoandrogenic counterparts. These women often are obese, hypertensive, and sedentary; ingest diets high in saturated fats; and have glucose intolerance and/or insulin resistance. All these abnormalities are well known independent risk factors for the development of lipid abnormalities and cardiovascular disease. Whether hyperandrogenism is a secondary consequence of any of these or whether it is an independent contributor to lipid aberrations requires future study. Treatment strategies for hyperandrogenic women, however, should not only be directed toward alleviation of the cosmetic problem of hirsutism but also toward the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular morbidity using modalities aimed at eradicating hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. These modalities should include modifications in diet, exercise, and weight in addition to pharmacologic and/or surgical manipulation. Weight reduction will reduce many cardiovascular risk factors. Obesity is easier to target because of the many risk factors that result in it.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Lipid metabolism and hyperandrogenism. 177 28

Recent prospective investigations have reported that higher plasma fibrinogen concentrations and higher factor VII coagulant activity are associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease. To discover what characteristics may influence fibrinogen and factor VII, we analyzed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study obtained from over 12,000 men and women, aged 45-64 years, from four communities in December 1986 to June 1989. Fibrinogen was higher in blacks than whites and in women than men; in general, it increased with age, smoking, body size, diabetes, fasting serum insulin, LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), leukocyte count, and menopause, and it decreased with ethanol intake, physical activity, HDL cholesterol, and female hormone use. Factor VII was higher in women than men and, in women, increased with age; in both sexes, it increased with body size, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, and it decreased with ethanol intake. These findings indicate that elevations in fibrinogen and factor VII may be modifiable through appropriate lifestyle changes.
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PMID:Population correlates of plasma fibrinogen and factor VII, putative cardiovascular risk factors. 178 4

The efficacy and safety of gliclazide (Diamicron) were studied in 29 NIDDM patients (19 men and 10 women aged 25-68 years) who failed to improve with diet or with diet plus a sulfonylurea. All patients were overweight and had fasting blood glucose levels consistently above 150 mg/dl (8.24 mmol/l). After withdrawal of oral hypoglycemics where applicable, they received 40 mg Diamicron three times daily with meals. The dose was increased by 40-80 mg/day until optimum control was obtained or up to a maximum of 320 mg/day. Treatment lasted for 12 months. At the end of this period the mean fasting blood glucose level had fallen by 35% from 238 to 154 mg/dl and the mean 2-h postprandial blood glucose level had fallen by 28% from 237.7 to 195 mg/dl. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin level also fell by 30% from 10.10 to 7.02%, i.e. within the normal range. In addition, there was a 19% fall in triglyceride and a 10% fall in cholesterol levels, with no change in body weight. No changes were observed for serum insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels, thyroid function tests, blood counts, liver and kidney function tests, uric acid, electrolytes, blood pressure or heart rate. No clinical or ECG abnormalities were observed in patients with or without cardiovascular disease. There were two presumptive hypoglycemic reactions, but these did not require treatment. Adverse effects were reported by 22 patients, including dizziness and light-headedness, diarrhea, nausea, palpitations and pruritus, but none required modification of Diamicron therapy. The results therefore show that Diamicron is safe, effective and well tolerated in suitably selected NIDDM patients.
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PMID:Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Diamicron in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. 179 70


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