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Query: UMLS:C0042373 (vascular disease)
 17,070 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Right ventricular cardiac function is altered by abnormalities affecting primarily the left-sided cardiac structures, the lungs, or the right-sided cardiac structures themselves. The most common cardiac causes for right ventricular dysfunction are chronic left ventricular ischemia and rheumatic mitral valvular disease. Pulmonary diseases that result in right ventricular dysfunction include pulmonary air-space disease, including emphysema, and pulmonary interstitial and parenchymal diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis. Chronic pulmonary vascular disease, including chronic thromboembolism and PPH have a significant effect on right ventricular performance. Common to all of these diseases is elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance with a commensurate increase in right ventricular pressure, resulting in right ventricular hypertrophy. The limited ability of right ventricular myocardium to function in the face of increased pulmonary resistance results in right ventricular dilatation, tricuspid regurgitation, and ultimately right ventricular failure. MR imaging provides direct, noninvasive visualization of the right ventricular chamber as well as the myocardium itself, allowing reliable demonstration of morphologic changes in the size and shape of the ventricle, thickness of the myocardium, and presence of abnormal infiltration by fat or edema. Furthermore, because MR imaging techniques do not depend upon geometric assumptions about the complex shape of the right ventricle, they may be used for accurate and reproducible quantitation of right ventricular volume and myocardial mass.
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PMID:MR imaging of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction. 872 68

Nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexists with other risk factors for cerebral ischemia. This study was originally designed to determine which combinations of clinical and echocardiographic abnormalities were most closely associated with the risk of cerebral ischemic events. Patients with cerebral ischemic events (n = 214) and community-based control subjects (n = 201) underwent transesophageal echocardiography and carotid artery imaging. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were determined using multiple logistic regression analysis. Independent risk factors for cerebral ischemia included diabetes, carotid stenosis, aortic sclerosis, left ventricular dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial (LA) spontaneous contrast, and proximal aortic atheroma. Nonrheumatic AF in combination with LA spontaneous contrast and LA enlargement showed a strong association with cerebral ischemic events (OR 33.7 [95% confidence interval 4.53 to 251]). In subjects with sinus rhythm or nonrheumatic AF, LA enlargement was not associated with an increased risk of cerebral ischemic events in the absence of LA spontaneous contrast. However, only 2 patients and 1 control subject had nonrheumatic AF without LA spontaneous contrast or LA enlargement. Therefore, study of a larger number of subjects is required to address the issue of whether nonrheumatic AF itself carries increased risk. The combination of nonrheumatic AF with LA spontaneous contrast is a potent risk factor for cerebral ischemia. Ascertaining the risk factor in nonrheumatic AF requires adequate examination for underlying cardiac, aortic, and carotid vascular disease. Transesophageal echocardiography may contribute to this assessment.
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PMID:Atrial fibrillation with left atrial spontaneous contrast detected by transesophageal echocardiography is a potent risk factor for stroke. 875 87

The primary objective of antihypertensive treatment is to prevent the involvement of target-organs, including hypertensive vascular disease of the kidney or left ventricular hypertrophy. Antihypertensive treatment should not worsen other cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. lipids) or impair quality of life. Contemporary efforts to optimize antihypertensive therapy are focused on single-drug therapy and on individualizing treatment according to patients age, sex, race and the presence of concomitant illnesses and therapies, in order to improve compliance and reduce overall cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Several antihypertensive drugs such as ACE-inhibitors, beta-adrenergic-receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, alpha-adrenergic-receptor antagonists, and newer substances such as imidazoline-receptor antagonists and angiotensin-II antagonists are discussed.
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PMID:[Rational hypertension treatment]. 883 Mar 97

In many reports, the prevalence of target organ damage in renovascular hypertension (RVH) appears to be higher than in essential hypertension (EH). Since in most studies the renal artery stenosis is part of a diffuse atherosclerotic disease, it is not known whether these complications are due to RVH itself or to the vascular disease. We have undertaken a case control study of 92 patients divided into two groups (46 in each), one with RVH and the other with EH and abdominal aortic aneurysm, with a comparable degree of diffuse atherosclerotic vascular disease. The vascular state of the extracranial carotid arteries and abdominal and inferior limb districts was investigated with angiography and sonography. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) were assessed by electrocardiography. Serum creatinine and urinary protein excretion were employed in the renal evaluation. While the analysis of the results confirmed an even diffusion of atherosclerotic vascular disease between the two groups, a significant difference was found in the prevalence of heart and renal damage. LVH was present in 32.6% of RVH patients versus 10.8% in EH (P = .02). Serum creatinine > 1.4 mg/dL was found in 50% of RVH and in 23.9% of EH, (P = .01). The prevalence of proteinuria in RVH was also higher although not reaching the statistical significance. The results suggest that, in patients with comparable degrees of atherosclerotic vascular disease, RVH is responsible for the higher prevalence of target organ damage in this condition compared to those with EH.
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PMID:Comparison of target organ damage in renovascular and essential hypertension. 893 30

Hypertension is an important risk factor for vascular disease. Primary goal of hypertension treatment is to prevent or delay the onset of blood pressure-related morbidity and mortality. It has been well demonstrated that the responses rate to any single class of antihypertensive agent, give as monotherapy is approximately 45% to 55%, and in half of hypertensive population a second will be required. The data from clinical trials clearly demonstrate that two-drug combination, usually with low-dose diuretics with any one of the other first-line agents increases the response rate to about 80% to 85% and reduces the likelihood of adverse events and alteration in lipid, carbohydrate and electrolyte metabolism. Of the various combinations being given that of an diuretic and ACE inhibitor, and ACE inhibitor and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers seems particularly attractive. Some combinations are inappropriate, such as diuretic and calcium channel blockers, and beta-blocker with verapamil and diltiazem. Combination of ACE inhibitor and a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers may provide benefit in regression left ventricular hypertrophy diabetic nephropathy, and post myocardial infarction.
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PMID:[Combination therapy in primary hypertension]. 955 8

There is substantial evidence from both observational epidemiology studies and randomized controlled trials that dietary intake of sodium and potassium is important in the etiology of hypertension. However, the direct evidence for a direct link between dietary sodium and potassium and risk of cardiovascular and renovascular events is limited. Epidemiological studies should be designed to examine the relationship between dietary intake of sodium and potassium and risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, and renal disease in a prospective manner. In these studies, dietary intake of sodium and potassium should be estimated using multiple 24-hour urine collections. These studies should be focused on African Americans because they are at a disproportionately high risk of developing hypertension and blood pressure-related vascular disease. Moreover, this group has been underrepresented in most previous epidemiological studies.
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PMID:What is the role of dietary sodium and potassium in hypertension and target organ injury? 1010 Jun 88

The 1996 Bethesda Conference acknowledged left ventricular hypertrophy, hyperhomocysteinemia, lipoprotein(a) excess, hypertriglyceridemia, oxidative stress, and hyperfibrinogenemia as possible new cardiac risk factors. This review summarizes the current literature that supports these conditions as cardiac risk factors. Left ventricular hypertrophy is an independent risk factor for vascular disease. Improvement or progression of left ventricular hypertrophy influences subsequent cardiovascular complications. Clinical trials are under way to assess the potential benefit of decreasing homocysteine levels. The role of lipoprotein(a) excess in vascular disease is controversial. The atherogenic potential of lipoprotein(a) seems to be neutralized by effective reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Increasing evidence supports an independent role of hypertriglyceridemia in cardiovascular disease and a possible clinical benefit from decreasing triglyceride levels. Among antioxidant micronutrients, supplementation with vitamin E has been shown to be beneficial in primary and secondary prevention studies. Data supporting the use of other antioxidants are much weaker. Preliminary evidence suggests that reducing fibrinogen levels in patients with high baseline levels and coronary disease may be beneficial. Despite the potential relation between new risk factors and cardiovascular disease, routine clinical application of these conditions as cardiovascular risk factors would be premature. Evidence is needed that these conditions extend prognostic ability beyond conventional risk factors and that modification of these conditions can reduce the risk for cardiovascular events.
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PMID:Potential new cardiovascular risk factors: left ventricular hypertrophy, homocysteine, lipoprotein(a), triglycerides, oxidative stress, and fibrinogen. 1078 77

Hypertension control and management of concomitant pathophysiologic conditions may require use of multiple drugs. However, most studies in hypertensive disease have focused on monotherapy. Therefore, our knowledge of combination therapy in the treatment of hypertension is largely extrapolated from these monotherapy studies. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium antagonist combinations should be particularly efficacious in reducing hypertensive target organ disease. Both of these drug classes have been shown to reduce complications of hypertensive heart disease and renal disease progression. With regard to hypertensive vascular disease, both ACE inhibitors and calcium antagonists have documented benefits. However, their use together in left ventricular hypertrophy and in patients with coronary heart disease, although promising, must be proved through carefully designed, prospective, randomized trials.
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PMID:Combinations in the treatment of hypertension: ACE inhibitors and calcium antagonists. 1047 2

Recent international guidelines on the detection, clinical assessment and management of patients with hypertension have highlighted a number of themes that should be incorporated into routine clinical practice. First, although antihypertensive therapy is having a major impact on reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and heart failure, community surveys show that most hypertensive patients remain untreated or have suboptimal blood pressure control. Second, the guidelines have emphasised the importance of making an overall assessment of individual patients to gauge their absolute risk of a cardiovascular event; risk factors include not only blood pressure but also target organ damage, the presence of coexisting symptomatic vascular disease and the number of associated cardiovascular risk factors. Patients at the highest risk, especially those with diabetes, the elderly and patients with target organ damage, merit vigorous antihypertensive therapy, and such patients often require treatment with more than one drug to achieve target levels of blood pressure (< 135/80 mm Hg). An additional important theme in recent guidelines has been a move towards using lower dosages and therapies that provide 24-hour blood pressure control with once-daily administration. Since diuretics have been reaffirmed as evidence-based first-line therapy in a broad spectrum of patients with hypertension, especially the elderly, a new lower dosage sustained release formulation of indapamide has been developed (indapamide SR 1.5 mg). Recent multicentre European clinical trials have defined the efficacy and tolerability of indapamide SR 1.5 mg, both relative to other antihypertensive drugs and in key subgroups of patients. Indapamide SR 1.5 mg has an antihypertensive effect, maintained throughout the 24-hour administration interval, equivalent to that of immediate release indapamide 2.5 mg, but the new formulation has even less effect on circulating K+ levels. Indapamide SR 1.5 mg is at least as effective as amlodipine or hydrochlorothiazide. In patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a comparative study of indapamide SR 1.5 mg and enalapril (the LIVE study) used a rigorous unique study design with blinded reading of echocardiograms to show that after 1 year the ACE inhibitor had no significant effect on LVH regression, whereas indapamide SR 1.5 mg produced significant reductions in left ventricular mass index. Diuretic-based therapy for hypertension has been reaffirmed in international guidelines as effective first-line therapy, especially in the elderly and patients with LVH. Indapamide SR 1.5 mg shows an improved efficacy-tolerability profile, with impressive 24-hour effects on blood pressure, important ancillary properties with regard to LVH and cardiovascular protection.
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PMID:Clinical implications of indapamide sustained release 1.5 mg in hypertension. 1049 30

Treatment of hypertension reduces the risk of several associated deleterious conditions, although it does not lower risk for all cardiovascular diseases. A new theory suggests that high blood pressure is but one piece in the puzzle of a complex syndrome of inherited risk factors called the hypertension syndrome. Several new findings have emerged theorizing that patients may have coronary artery disease before the actual onset of elevated blood pressure. Epidemiologic studies have found that normotensive patients with a family history of hypertension often have a disease process and prognosis similar to that of hypertensives. It seems that some patients may "inherit" abnormalities that make them prone to the development of hypertension, as well as a complex series of cardiovascular disease risk factors. These include elevated lipids, increased left ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffening, insulin resistance, renal function abnormalities, and neuroendocrine changes. It is conceivable that the hypertension syndrome may be reversible if the disease process is diagnosed early, which appears to be well before the actual onset of high blood pressure. High blood pressure may be a risk marker for irreversible vascular disease and early detection of the many components of hypertension syndrome may delay or prevent cardiovascular disease from developing in high-risk patients.
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PMID:Hypertension control: multifactorial contributions. 1061 97


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