The Long-Term Clinical Outcome of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Impaired Coronary Distensibility.

Objective: Coronary Distensibility Index (CDI) impairments reflect endothelial-dependent process associated with vulnerable-plaque composition. This study investigated the relation of impaired CDI with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their predictive value for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Methods: This study involved 246 patients (age = 63 [10] years, 12% women) with (n = 50) and without (n = 196) PTSD, who underwent computed tomography angiography to determine coronary artery disease and CDI.

18F-NaF PET Demonstrating Unusual Focal Tracer Activity in the Brain.

A 60-year-old man with enlarged prostate, hypertension, and diabetes was referred for F-NaF PET/CT to evaluate possible metastatic lesions. The patient appeared asymptomatic on the day of the study, without any signs indicating stroke. Patient also had no known history of malignancy or cerebrovascular disease.

Traumatic brain injury, coronary atherosclerosis and cardiovascular mortality.

Background: Traumatic-brain-injury (TBI) is a devastating-condition resulting in cerebral edema and ischemia. This study investigates the association of mild-TBI (mTBI) to sub-clinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) mortality.

Methods: Five hundred and forty-three veterans without known coronary artery disease or diagnosed mental disorder, who underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning for clinical indications, were followed for a median of 4-years.

Impaired coronary artery distensibility is an endothelium-dependent process and is associated with vulnerable plaque composition.

Coronary endothelial-dependent microvascular dysfunction, an early reversible stage of coronary artery disease (CAD), is associated with poor clinical outcome. The current study investigated whether coronary artery distensibility index (CDI) is associated with: (i) coronary endothelial-dependent microvascular dysfunction and (ii) vulnerable plaque composition among subjects with non-obstructive CAD. Seventy-four subjects with non-obstructive CAD (luminal stenosis <30%) were studied.

Increased epicardial adipose tissue is associated with coronary artery disease and major adverse cardiovascular events.

Background: Increased-epicardial-adipose tissue (EAT) is associated with the presence and severity of subclinical-atherosclerosis. This study investigates the long-term clinical-outcome of subjects with and without increased-EAT.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-five subjects, aged 61 ± 9 years and 34% women underwent clinically-indicated computed-tomography-angiography (CTA), and body-surface-area adjusted EAT was measured and were followed prospectively.

Accurate detection of metabolically active "brown" and "white" adipose tissues with computed tomography.

Background: Adipose tissues (AT) are highly metabolically active complex endocrine organs and are classified into white (WAT) and brown AT (BAT) with proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The current study investigated the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) to quantitatively detect BAT and WAT based on Hounsfield unit (HU) threshold compared to standardized uptake values (SUVs) of corresponding AT with the use of positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: One hundred twenty-four patients who underwent whole-body (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) PET/CT were studied.

Aged garlic extract with supplement is associated with increase in brown adipose, decrease in white adipose tissue and predict lack of progression in coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Aged garlic extract with supplement (AGE-S) significantly reduces coronary artery calcium (CAC). We evaluated the effects of AGE-S on change in white (wEAT) and brown (bEAT) epicardial adipose tissue, homocysteine and CAC.

Methods: Sixty subjects, randomized to a daily capsule of placebo vs.

Reproducibility and variability of digital thermal monitoring of vascular reactivity.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that digital thermal monitoring (DTM) of vascular reactivity, a new test for vascular function assessment, is well correlated with Framingham Risk Score, coronary calcium score and CT angiography. This study evaluates the variability and reproducibility of DTM measurements. We hypothesized that DTM is reproducible, and its variability falls within the accepted range of clinical diagnostic tests.

Relation of subclinical left and right ventricular dysfunctions measured by computed tomography angiography with the severity of coronary artery disease.

Objective: Ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic patients is directly linked to the eventual development of symptomatic congestive heart failure. This study investigates whether subclinical left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunctions measured by computed tomography angiography is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: We studied 1608 consecutive patients with suspected CAD (age 62 ± 10 years, 64% male), who underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning and computed tomography angiography.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, coronary atherosclerosis, and mortality.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk of multiple medical problems including myocardial infarction. However, a direct link between PTSD and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been made. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is an excellent method to detect atherosclerosis.

Porcelain heart.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was the leading-cause of death in individual aged 5-20 years a century ago. Developments in diagnosis and treatment, decreased the incidence of RHD and dropped its mortality-rate to less than 10% since the 1960s. Despite the existence of proven preventive strategies in early detection and management of rheumatic fever (RF), RHD remained the most common cause of cardiovascular-mortality and morbidity in patients with RF.

Mortality in individuals without known coronary artery disease but with discordance between the Framingham risk score and coronary artery calcium.

A risk-management approach based on the Framingham risk score (FRS), although useful in preventing future coronary artery disease (CAD) events, is unable to identify a considerable portion of patients with CAD who need aggressive medical management. Coronary artery calcium (CAC), an anatomic marker of atherosclerosis, correlates well with presence and extent of CAD. This study investigated mortality risk associated with CAC score and FRS in subjects classified as "low risk" versus "high risk" based on FRS.

Mortality incidence of patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease diagnosed by computed tomography angiography.

It was previously reported that event-free survival rates of symptomatic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed by computed tomographic angiography decreased incrementally from normal coronary arteries to obstructive CAD. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of symptomatic patients with nonobstructive CAD with luminal stenoses of 1% to 49% on the basis of coronary plaque morphology in an outpatient setting. Among 3,499 consecutive symptomatic subjects who underwent computed tomographic angiography, 1,102 subjects with nonobstructive CAD (mean age 59 ± 14 years, 69.

Increased epicardial, pericardial, and subcutaneous adipose tissue is associated with the presence and severity of coronary artery calcium.

Rationale And Objectives: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) are mediators of metabolic risk and may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of visceral and subcutaneous fat depots with the presence and severity of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in asymptomatic individuals.

Materials And Methods: One hundred eleven consecutive subjects underwent CAC assessment, and their Framingham risk scores were measured.

Impaired aortic distensibility measured by computed tomography is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease.

Impaired aortic distensibility index (ADI) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluates the relation of ADI measured by computed tomographic angiography (CTA) with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in subjects with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Two hundred and twenty-nine subjects,age 63 ± 9 years, 42% female, underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning and CTA, and their ADI and Framingham risk score (FRS) were measured.

Coronary distensibility index measured by computed tomography is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease.

Background: Atherosclerotic changes within the coronary artery wall can affect vessel distensibility.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between the coronary distensibility index (CDI) and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) measured by computed tomographic angiography (CTA).

Methods: One hundred thirteen subjects, age 63 +/- 10 years, 32% women, who underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning and CTA, were studied.

Relation of oxidative biomarkers, vascular dysfunction, and progression of coronary artery calcium.

The relation between oxidative stress and coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression is currently not well described. The present study evaluated the relation among the biomarkers of oxidative stress, vascular dysfunction, and CAC. Sixty asymptomatic subjects participated in a randomized trial evaluating the effect of aged garlic extract plus supplement versus placebo and underwent measurement of CAC.

Vascular function measured by fingertip thermal reactivity is impaired in patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus.

Digital thermal monitoring (DTM) of vascular function has already been shown to correlate well with coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and coronary artery disease. To determine its utility in the metabolic syndrome (MS) and diabetes mellitus (DM), 233 asymptomatic patients with DM/MS but without coronary artery disease underwent DTM during and after 5 minutes of supra-systolic arm cuff inflation, as well as CAC. Post-cuff deflation adjusted temperature rebound (aTR) was lower in MS and DM compared with the normal group.

Measures of coronary artery calcification and association with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

The authors compared the metabolic syndrome status and Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease risk score (FRS) with the coronary artery calcification (CAC) in subclinical atherosclerosis. In all, 356 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery calcium scanning were studied. Participants' metabolic syndrome status (by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III [NCEP ATP III] guidelines) and FRS were measured.

Relations between digital thermal monitoring of vascular function, the Framingham risk score, and coronary artery calcium score.

Background: Digital thermal monitoring (DTM) of vascular function was shown to correlate with the presence of known coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objective: We evaluated whether DTM can identify at-risk, asymptomatic patients with significant coronary artery calcium (CAC) or increased Framingham risk score (FRS).

Methods: Two hundred thirty-three consecutive asymptomatic subjects (58 +/- 11 years; 62% men) without known CAD underwent DTM, CAC, and FRS calculation.