Publications by authors named "Floris Vanmolkot"

PCSK9 inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that target the protein PCSK9. These drugs (alirocumab and evolcumab) are a new generation of cholesterol-lowering agents for patients with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease. They lower the LDL cholesterol concentration by approximately 50% in comparison with placebo, thereby lowering the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death in high-risk patients.

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Objective: To identify a plasma metabolomic biomarker signature for migraine.

Methods: Plasma samples from 8 Dutch cohorts (n = 10,153: 2,800 migraine patients and 7,353 controls) were profiled on a H-NMR-based metabolomics platform, to quantify 146 individual metabolites (e.g.

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Objectives: When monitoring patients over time, clinicians may struggle to distinguish 'real changes' in consecutive blood parameters from so-called natural fluctuations. In practice, they have to do so by relying on their clinical experience and intuition. We developed , a medical app that calculates the probability that an increase or decrease over time in a specific blood parameter is real, given the time between measurements.

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Fever of unknown origin (FUO) represents a challenge in diagnosis and treatment. The role of 18Ffluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) / computed tomography (CT) in the differential diagnosis of this entity is presently well established. We report the case of a patient with infectious/inflammatory symptoms but no evident localization and subsequent relapse, in which PET/CT showed its ability to not only determine the exact localization of a thrombophlebitic focus as cause of FUO, but also to monitor and determine the success of treatment.

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Flow-mediated dilation is aimed at normalization of local wall shear stress under varying blood flow conditions. Blood flow velocity and vessel diameter are continuous and opposing influences that modulate wall shear stress. We derived an index FMDv to quantify wall shear stress normalization performance by flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery.

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In normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), optic nerve damage occurs despite a normal intraocular pressure. Studies implicating systemic blood pressure or, more recently, arterial stiffness in the pathophysiology of NTG have produced conflicting results. Our aim was to investigate whether NTG is associated with alterations in the macrocirculation or microcirculation, cardiac function, and peripheral and central hemodynamics.

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Background: Arterial stiffness measures such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) have a known dependence on actual blood pressure, requiring consideration in cardiovascular risk assessment and management. Given the impact of ageing on arterial wall structure, the pressure-dependence of PWV may vary with age.

Methods: Using a noninvasive model-based approach, combining carotid artery echo-tracking and tonometry waveforms, we obtained pressure-area curves in 23 hypertensive patients at baseline and after 3 months of antihypertensive treatment.

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Aims: The immunosuppressant tacrolimus is usually administered orally. When this is not feasible, other routes of administration may be useful. Previous research suggested that tacrolimus may be applied sublingually or rectally.

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Background: Migraine has been associated with cardiovascular disorders. Endothelial dysfunction may be a mechanism underlying this association. The present study tested the hypothesis that endothelium-dependent vasodilation, basal endothelial nitric oxide release and endothelial fibrinolytic capacity are impaired in migraine patients.

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Proper non-invasive assessment of carotid artery pressure ideally uses waveforms recorded at two anatomical locations: the brachial and the carotid artery. Calibrated diameter distension waveforms could provide a more widely applicable alternative for local arterial pressure assessment than applanation tonometry. This approach might be of particular use at the brachial artery, where the feasibility of a reliable tonometric measurement has been questioned.

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What Is Already Known About This Subject: * Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was first described as a potent vasodilator. * CGRP is also increasingly recognized as a key player in the pathophysiology of migraine, and CGRP receptor antagonists potentially offer a new approach for treating migraine. * A novel pharmacodynamic assay to measure CGRP receptor antagonist activity non-invasively in humans has been developed, which involves measuring the increase in dermal blood flow induced by topical application of capsaicin on the forearm.

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Objective: Migraine is associated with cardiovascular disorders but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Arterial structure and function are important determinants of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to assess arterial properties in patients with migraine of recent onset.

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Background And Objectives: Sumatriptan, a 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)(1B/1D) receptor agonist, is an effective acute antimigraine drug. Because of its vasoconstrictor activity, it is contraindicated in patients at high risk for adverse cardiovascular events. Acute antimigraine drugs without vasoconstrictor effects are currently being developed, and sensitive, noninvasive techniques by which to detect drug-induced vascular effects would facilitate their clinical development.

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Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the potential of CGRP8-37, the C-terminal fragment of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), to inhibit CGRP-induced vasodilation in the human forearm and to evaluate a pharmacodynamic model to aid the clinical development of novel CGRP-receptor antagonists.

Methods: Forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to intra-arterial CGRP infusions were measured via venous occlusion plethysmography in 21 healthy subjects. Dose response to CGRP was assessed during graded infusion of CGRP (1, 3, and 10 ng.

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Aims: To assess the reproducibility of the forearm blood flow (FBF) response to intra-arterial infusion of calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. In addition, to compare different ways of expressing the FBF response and perform sample size calculations.

Methods: On two separate visits, CGRP (10 ng min(-1) dl(-1) forearm) was infused for 45 min into the brachial artery of six healthy subjects.

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