Effect of statin therapy on incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with clinically manifest vascular disease.

Several trials and cohort studies have shown an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients using statins. Whether this only applies to patients at already high risk for the development of T2DM or for all patients is still a matter of debate. In the present prospective cohort study of 4,645 patients with established vascular disease without DM at baseline, 3,057 patients used statins at baseline, of whom 1,608 used intensive statin therapy, defined as statin therapy theoretically lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with ≥40%.

Rs964184 (APOA5-A4-C3-A1) is related to elevated plasma triglyceride levels, but not to an increased risk for vascular events in patients with clinically manifest vascular disease.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the APOA5-A4-C3-A1 gene complex are associated with elevated plasma triglycerides and elevated vascular risk in healthy populations. In patients with clinically manifest vascular disease, hypertriglyceridemia and metabolic syndrome are frequently present, but the contribution of these single nucleotide polymorphisms to plasma triglycerides, effect modification by obesity and risk of recurrent vascular events is unknown in these patients.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 5547 patients with vascular disease.

LDL-c-linked SNPs are associated with LDL-c and myocardial infarction despite lipid-lowering therapy in patients with established vascular disease.

Background: Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with both plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) level and coronary artery disease in the general population. It is unclear whether these associations also apply to patients with vascular disease and whether the associations are independent of lipid-lowering therapy.

Design: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with plasma LDL-c and vascular risk in the general population (rs11206510 (PCSK9), rs1122608 (LDLR), rs579459 (ABO) and rs599839 (SORT1)) were genotyped in a prospective cohort study of 5482 patients with vascular disease.

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is not a risk factor for recurrent vascular events in patients with vascular disease on intensive lipid-lowering medication.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the vascular risk of low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in relation to the use and intensity of lipid-lowering medication in patients with clinically manifest vascular diseases.

Background: Low levels of HDL-C are associated with an increased risk for vascular diseases and may contribute to residual vascular risk in patients already treated for other risk factors. However, post-hoc analyses from statin trials indicate that the vascular risk associated with low HDL-C may be low or even absent in patients using intensive statin therapy.

Plasma triglyceride levels increase the risk for recurrent vascular events independent of LDL-cholesterol or nonHDL-cholesterol.

Background: Plasma triglyceride (TG) levels are known to confer an increased risk of vascular disease in healthy populations, but data in high-risk patients are scarce. In this study we evaluated the risk on recurrent vascular events conferred by increased plasma TG levels in patients with various clinical manifestations of vascular disease.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 5731 patients with clinically manifest vascular disease.

Effect of EPO administration on myocardial infarct size in patients with non-STE acute coronary syndromes; results from a pilot study.

A pilot study was performed to determine the effect of 40,000 IU Epo on myocardial damage in 51 patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (non-STE ACS). No significant difference in myocardial damage was found, but an increased systolic blood pressure was noticed.