BACKGROUND The prevalence of coronary calcifications and extracoronary plaques was studied in patients with asymptomatic hypercholesterolemia. METHODS AND RESULTS Ultrafast computed tomography for coronary calcification (presence or absence: calcium score) and echographic assessment of carotid, aortic, and femoral plaques were performed in 111 hypercholesterolemic men: 65% had coronary calcif...

OBJECTIVES The current study was designed to investigate the relationship between renal arterial structure and vessel remodeling in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS), compared with that seen in coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND The nature and the tissue characterization of atherosclerotic RAS lesions have not been fully explored. METHODS Gray scale and virtua...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to perform a head-to-head comparison of plaque observations with multislice computed tomography (MSCT) to virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH IVUS). BACKGROUND The VH IVUS allows in vivo coronary plaque characterization with high spatial resolution. Noninvasively, plaques may be evaluated with MSCT, but limited data are available. METHODS ...

OBJECTIVE This paper presents the results of a clinical study assessing the in vivo effects on plaque metabolism of a new dentifrice containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound, and 1450 ppm fluoride compared to a commercially available dentifrice containing 1450 ppm fluoride alone. METHODS A four-week, parallel, randomized, double-blind clinical study using 54 subjects was conduc...

AIMS Endothelial dysfunction and plaque formation are features of atherosclerosis. Inhibition of L-type calcium channels or HMG-CoA pathway improves endothelial function and reduces plaque size. Thus, we investigated in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) the effects of a calcium antagonist on coronary endothelial function and plaque size. METHODS AND RESULTS In 454 patients undergoing PCI, ...

OBJECTIVE The primary objective of the three studies reported in this paper was to evaluate the effects of new dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound, and fluoride for their ability to promote remineralization of demineralized enamel, and to prevent mineral loss from sound enamel specimens. A secondary objective was to determine the effects on plaque metabolism with...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between the coronary CT angiographic findings of calcified and noncalcified plaque burden and stenosis severity and the myocardial perfusion imaging finding of ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-two patients (41 men, 31 women; mean age, 56 years) underwent coronary CT angiography and stress-rest SPECT myocardial perfusion im...

PURPOSE Idiopathic calcium oxalate kidney stones form while attached to Randall plaques, the subepithelial deposits on renal papillary surfaces. Plaque formation and growth mechanisms are poorly understood. Plaque formation elsewhere in the body is triggered by reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. This review explores possible reactive oxygen species involvement in plaque formation and...

Many authors have assumed that the reason supragingival calculus tends to form preferentially on the lingual surface of the 6 lower anterior teeth is because saliva from the adjacent submandibular ducts is a source of calcium and phosphate ions and because loss of CO2 as the saliva enters the mouth increases the local pH. However, the fluid phase of plaque in all locations is supersaturated wit...