Artery Research

Background: Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in type 2 diabetes, and both endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness may contribute in the pathogenesis. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Aim: To evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation...

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) was shown to be effective in reducing peripheral BP in treatment resistant hypertension. Accumulating data suggest that central pressures may be a better predictor of cardiovascular events and outcomes than the corresponding peripheral pressure. PP amplification is...

Background: Soluble Klotho is an anti-ageing phosphaturic protein associated with cardiovascular and renal protection. In-vitro and in-vivo studies have demonstrated that rennin-angiotensin-system (RAS) blockade increases soluble Klotho levels. The effect of RAS blockers on soluble Klotho in patients...

Background: The inhibition of the vitamin K cycle by warfarin promotes arterial calcification in the rat. Conceivably, genetically determined vitamin K deficiency owing to a mutant epoxide reductase subcomponent 1 (Vkorc1) gene, a key component of the vitamin K cycle, might also promote arterial calcification....

Objectives: Arterial elasticity is determined by passive mechanical properties of wall components modulated by neurogenic effects on smooth muscle. We assessed denervation effects on viscoelastic properties of the aorta of Lewis Polycystic Kidney (LPK) disease rats, compared to controls (Lewis). Methods:...

Objective: Aortic stiffness evaluation is recommended in standard care as hypertension target organ damage. The main determinants of aortic stiffness are age and blood pressure. We aimed to evaluate the impact of short-term extracellular volume changes induced by dietetic and pharmacological interventions...

Hypertension is a contributing factor to pathophysiology of vascular damage and accelerated arterial stiffening. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors are widely used for treatment of persistent hypertension. Along with conventional antihypertensive therapy, nutritional intervention...

Objective: The Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) enzyme is involved in degrading extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen and elastin. Increased MMP-9 levels are associated with increased vascular remodelling and arterial stiffness. Exercise improves age-related vascular stiffening. It...

Introduction: This study aims to investigate how image settings affect carotid Intima-Media-Thickness (IMT) and diameter estimation performed with Carotid Studio (Quipu-Srl). Methods: Fourteen healthy volunteers (24.4 ± 4.4 years; eight men) were recruited. Longitudinal scans 3-cm-deep of common-carotid-arteries...

Objectives: Drugs opposing the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibit angiogenesis slowing down and eventually stopping solid tumors growth. Nevertheless these drugs can cause hypertension (that seems to be correlated with cancer outcome) and cardiac dysfunction. We hypnotize...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mild uremia on aortic and heart remodelling in the rat. Methods: Mild uremia was induced by reduction of renal mass after 5/6 nephrectomy (NE). Rats with proteinuria >300 mg/24h were included in further investigations. Four weeks...

Objectives: Androgen deficiency confers an independent risk for cardiovascular events and total mortality. Hypertension, a major contributory factor to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), has been associated with increased prevalence of low testosterone. We investigated whether low androgen...

Objectives: To measure the extent of correction of vitamin D deficiency and hyperparathyroidism after treatment with calcifediol as well as their relationship to blood pressure and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Longitudinal study that...

Background: Dietary inorganic nitrate is reduced to (nitric oxide) NO in the body. Beetroot is a rich source of dietary inorganic nitrate and has been shown to lower brachial blood pressure (BP) by this mechanism. The effect on aortic (central) BP, which may be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease,...

Background: Bezafibrate and Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) were known to decrease serum triglyceride. And, EPA administration for 5 years was reported to improve cardiovascular events by JLIT study. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was a new index reflecting arterial stiffness from the origin of the aorta...

Vascular calcification and hemodynamical abnormalities lead to reduced arterial elasticity in end stage renal disease. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) predicts cardiovascular mortality in advance stages of renal failure possibly indicating more advanced vascular calcification. The relation of FGF23...

“Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase” (SSAO) metabolizes primary amines into aldehydes, hydrogen peroxide and ammonia and is largely expressed in adipocytes, lymphatic endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In vitro SSAO expression and activity increase during VSMC differentiation...

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the commonest complication of diabetes. Previous studies from our group have identified diabetes-evoked changes in copper homeostasis that cause accumulation of chelatable-Cu(II) in the heart (1). We also showed that treatment by Cu(II)-selective chelation with TETA...

Objectives: To examine the impact of glycaemic homeostasis on arterial stiffness and cardiac diastolic function in healthy subjects. Methods: Subjects (100 male & 115 female) were normotensive and normolipidaemic and had normal oral glucose tolerance test responses. Carotid-femoral arterial stiffness...

Objective: Oxidative stress and vascular inflammation are increased in hypertension. These factors may contribute to target organ damage and increased cardiovascular risk in these patients. We studied the effect of four classes of antihypertensive drugs on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in...

Background/aims: The impact of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection on atherosclerosis is controversial. In this pilot clinical study, we examined whether HCV patients significantly differed in markers of subclinical atherosclerosis compared to patients with alcohol-related chronic liver disease. Methods:...

Objectives: The metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of risk factor including abdominal fat, hypertension, dyslipidemia and raised fasting plasma glucose, is associated with modifications in the arterial wall, endothelial dysfunction and atherothrombosis. To explore the course of events we characterized...

Rationale: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic modulation plays an important role in arterial stiffening associated with ageing. Serum response factor (SRF) is a major transcription factor regulating smooth muscle (SM) genes involved in maintenance of the contractile state of VSMCs. Objective:...

Objectives: Traditional outcomes after vascular intervention include vessel patency, limb salvage rates and mortality but correlate poorly with functional goals. Patent-oriented outcomes are patient-reported functional outcomes. The aim of this study is divided into 2 complementary parts: Part A: To...

Background: Nitroglycerin (NTG) reduces cardiac pre-load and after-load through venodilation and arterial dilation respectively but the relative contributions of these effects to reduction in myocardial wall stress is unknown. Methods: We estimated myocardial wall stress from transthoracic echocardiographic...

Background: Clinical evidence of coronary pressure assessment through a diagnostic catheter is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the difference, safety, and rate of successful measurement of Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio (iFR) through 4Fr and 5Fr diagnostic catheters. Methods: This single-centre...

Objective: Studies on changes in arterial stiffness and wave reflections during pregnancy are limited to cross-sectional studies. Our aim was to investigate maternal hemodynamic and cardiovascular adaptations at each trimester of pregnancy in a prospective longitudinal case-control study. Methods: Cardiovascular...

Objectives: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are susceptible to exercise-induced albuminuria even at submaximal exercise, but the mechanisms are unknown. Recent data indicates that T2DM patients have raised central blood pressure (BP) during submaximal exercise and this could contribute to renal...

Pregnancy is associated with profound vascular adaptive changes. Cross-sectional studies show greater arterial stiffness in gestational diabetes than in normal pregnancy. However, the time course of maternal cardiovascular hemodynamics in normal and diabetic pregnancy can only be appreciated in longitudinal...