BACKGROUND Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are interconnected entities with pathophysiological similarities. Bisphosphonates are therapeutic options available for resorptive bone diseases; however, experimental evidence has demonstrated a role for bisphosphonates in the inhibition of atherogenesis. METHODS A systematic review of the vascular effects of bisphosphonates on atheroscleros...

OBJECTIVE The discriminatory capability of different adiposity indices for atherosclerosis and lipid abnormalities remains uncertain. This study aimed to identify the best adiposity index for predicting early atherosclerosis and abnormal lipid profiles among anthropometric parameters and body fat measures in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. METHOD A total of 2,063 women and 814 men (57.6±5.2 ...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major constituent of the vessel wall. In addition to providing a structural scaffold, the ECM controls numerous cellular functions in both physiologic and pathologic settings. Vascular remodeling occurs after injury and is characterized by endothelial cell activation, inflammatory cell infiltration, phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and aug...

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine whether treatment with high dose verapamil prevents restenosis in patients at high risk for reoccurrence after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). BACKGROUND Restenosis is the major limitation of PTCA. Calcium antagonists have demonstrated some potential as inhibitors of this process. METHODS A total of 98 patients with periphe...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare automated and semiautomated algorithms for analysis of carotid artery wall thickness and intima-media thickness on multidetector row computed tomographic (CT) angiography and sonography, respectively, and to study the correlation between them. METHODS Twenty consecutive patients underwent multidetector row CT angiographic and sonographic ana...

The ratio of two wave components (magnitude of b/a constituting the second derivative of the plethysmogram (SDPTG) was correlated with arterial distensibility. Eighty-two subjects (33-93 years old) were classified into three groups according to the thickness of the intima-media complex of the common carotid artery measured by B-mode ultrasonography. One group was non-atherosclerotic (without pa...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the mean intima-media thickening of carotid arteries of elderly subjects, and its relationship with age, anthropometric measurements, high systolic blood pressure and dyslipidemia. METHODS In this investigation, 129 subjects were enrolled between 1995 and 1998, age ranging from 29 to 94 years. They were assigned to one of 4 groups, including...

BACKGROUND Some studies have implicated several possible metabolic linkages between osteoporosis and vascular calcification, including estrogen deficiency, vitamin D excess, vitamin K deficiency and lipid oxidation products. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether osteoporosis and atherosclerosis are related to each other or are independent processes, both related to aging. The aim of this cro...

BACKGROUND Glycosphingolipids, integral components of the cell membrane, have been shown to serve as messengers, transducing growth factor-initiated phenotypes. Here, we have examined whether inhibition of glycosphingolipid synthesis could ameliorate atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness in transgenic mice and rabbits. METHODS AND RESULTS Apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice (12 weeks of age; n=6) wer...