Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as an index of central arterial stiffness.

Aim: Stiffness of the central arteries plays an important role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) of the aorta has been used as the standard measure of central arterial stiffness. An automated device for brachial-ankle (ba) PWV is available, although information is limited whether baPWV reflects the stiffness of central or peripheral arteries. We therefore addressed this question in the present study.

Central versus peripheral arterial stiffness in association with coronary, cerebral and peripheral arterial disease.

Background: Although stiffness of central arteries is more preferentially associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) than that of peripheral arteries, less is known for cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). We measured pulse wave velocity (PWV) in four arterial segments, and examined the relative changes in the four regional PWVs in patients with CAD, CVD or PAD.

Methods: The 2798 subjects were selected from 3300 consecutive participants of our non-invasive vascular lab.

The combination of IMT and stiffness parameter beta is highly associated with concurrent coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes.

Aims: The clinical implications of stiffness of the carotid artery (CA) have not been fully clarified in the prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD), although intima-media thickness (IMT) has been established as a surrogate marker. We examined the associations of stiffness parameter beta (ST) and IMT with concurrent CAD.

Methods: IMT and ST were measured by ultrasound in 439 nondiabetic subjects as a control and 1528 type 2 diabetic subjects (T2DM) with or without CAD in a cross-sectional study.

Skin autofluorescence, a marker for advanced glycation end product accumulation, is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Elevated cardiovascular mortality has been shown to be associated with increased arterial stiffness. However, the contribution of tissue accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) to increased arterial stiffness is unclear. We examined whether skin autofluorescence, a recently developed marker of tissue accumulation of AGEs, is associated with arterial stiffness in 120 Japanese patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 110 age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and carotid atherosclerosis.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the small dense LDL (SdLDL) phenotype are both predictors for ischemic heart disease. We examined whether cholesterol of SdLDL (SdLDL-C) is more closely associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT), a surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, than LDL-C and other lipid parameters. The subjects were 326 consecutive participants including those with dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and smokers.

Clinical impact of metabolic syndrome by modified NCEP-ATPIII criteria on carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese adults.

Aim: The present study aimed to clarify the clinical impact of modified NCEP-ATP III criteria for metabolic syndrome (MS) and Framingham Risk Score (FRS) on carotid atherosclerosis in 615 Japanese adults (319 men and 296 women) including 307 with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Waist circumference was the only component from the original NCEP-ATP III criteria based on Japanese criteria. The intima-medial thickness (IMT) and stiffness parameter beta of the carotid artery were measured by ultrasound.

Association between plasma angiopoietin-like protein 3 and arterial wall thickness in healthy subjects.

Background: Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) is a liver-derived plasma protein that modulates plasma triglyceride clearance, angiogenesis and atherosclerosis in experimental models. So far, no study has examined its role in atherosclerosis in human subjects. We evaluated the possible association between plasma ANGPTL3 level and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) and femoral artery intima-media thickness (FA-IMT) in healthy human subjects.

Low circulating endogenous secretory receptor for AGEs predicts cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Objective: Receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is involved in diabetic vascular complications. We have recently shown that plasma endogenously secretory RAGE (esRAGE), an alternatively spliced form of RAGE, is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. Here, we evaluated if plasma esRAGE is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in a cohort of 206 (171 nondiabetic) patients with end-stage renal diseases (ESRD).

Effect of adiponectin on carotid arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetic patients treated with pioglitazone and metformin.

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-specific plasma protein, has been reported to exhibit protective effects against atherosclerosis as well as an insulin-sensitizing effect. This study was designed to investigate the effect of adiponectin on carotid arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetic patients treated with pioglitazone and metformin. Twenty type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups, a pioglitazone-treated group (n = 10) and a metformin-treated group (n = 10).

Regional arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Increased arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of death from cardiovascular disease, and aortic stiffness is more predictive than stiffness of other arterial regions. Because little is known about the effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on regional arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity (PWV) of four different arterial segments was measured in patients who had type 2 diabetes with and without various stages of CKD. A total of 434 patients had type 2 diabetes, and there were 192 healthy control subjects who were comparable in age and gender.

Regional arterial stiffness associated with ischemic heart disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Arterial stiffness is increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and diabetes preferentially affects arterial stiffness of the central (elastic, capacitive) over peripheral (muscular, conduit) arteries. We hypothesized that arterial stiffness of the central artery may be more closely associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) than stiffness of peripheral arteries in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The subjects were 595 type 2 diabetes patients including 70 with IHD.

Platelet-monocyte aggregates are independently associated with occurrence of carotid plaques in type 2 diabetic patients.

Recent evidence suggests important roles for platelet activation in the progression of atherosclerosis. We have recently shown that P-selectin expression or the presence of platelet-monocyte aggregates, a well-characterized marker of platelet activation, is associated with carotid atherosclerosis in the general population. It is not clear, however, whether platelet activation is also associated with carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Platelet activation is associated with hypoadiponectinemia and carotid atherosclerosis.

Adiponectin, an adipokine secreted specifically from adipose tissue, has plurifunctions including antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, and antiinflammatory functions. Recently, platelet activation and the subsequent local inflammation have been implicated in progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study is to examine the interrelation among plasma adiponectin levels, platelet activation status and quantitatively determined carotid atherosclerosis.

[Effects of parathyroid hormone gene polymorphism on cardiovascular mortality].

It is well-known that secondary hyperparathyroidism of uremia influences not only bone and mineral metabolism but also cardiovascular complications. Here we reported the effects of the level of serum intact PTH and its gene polymorphism on cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients. We analyzed the association between clinico-molecular parameters and 3-year survival in 508 hemodialysis patients among whom 90 patients died.

Effect of atorvastatin on regional arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: A statin, a potent lipid-lowering drug, improves pain-free walking distance in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) without increasing the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI). Arterial stiffness affects the blood flow of peripheral arteries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cholesterol-lowering with atorvastatin on regional arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The K469E polymorphism of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene is associated with plasma fibrinogen level in type 2 diabetes.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is involved in inflammation and development of atherosclerotic change of vascular endothelium. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene is associated with various clinical factors including plasma fibrinogen in patients with type 2 diabetes. ICAM-1 gene polymorphism was examined using polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis in 360 type 2 diabetic patients.

Altered relationship between body fat and plasma adiponectin in end-stage renal disease.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) show an inverse association between body mass index and risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Paradoxical epidemiology may suggest some beneficial effects of body fat in ESRD. Because an antiatherogenic adipocytokine adiponectin is increased in uremic plasma, we tested a hypothesis that, in ESRD, plasma adipocytokine profile may be less atherogenic or that the relationship between body fat and adipocytokines may be altered.

Arterial stiffness in predialysis patients with uremia.

Background: Hemodialysis patients have advanced arterial wall stiffening as shown by increased aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality. We compared aortic PWV of uremic patients before starting hemodialysis treatment with that of patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Methods: The subjects were 71 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) before starting hemodialysis (predialysis group), 144 patients on maintenance hemodialysis, and 140 healthy control subjects.

Lower risk for cardiovascular mortality in oral 1alpha-hydroxy vitamin D3 users in a haemodialysis population.

Background: Renal failure results in deficiency of active vitamin D3 that has diverse effects on metabolism and organ functions. Treatment with active forms of vitamin D(3) ameliorates abnormalities in bone and mineral metabolism, cardiac function, immune response and others. We hypothesized that treatment with vitamin D(3) may be beneficial for survival in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Pulse wave velocity in lower-limb arteries among diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at an increased risk of atherosclerosis including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The purpose of this study was to examine the possible alteration in pulse wave velocity (PWV) in lower-limb arteries among diabetic patients with PAD.

Methods: We measured brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) using an automatic device in 101 healthy control subjects and 102 type 2 diabetic patients including those with PAD.

The association of antibodies against oxidized low-density lipoprotein with atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Immune response to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) may modulate atherogenesis. We recently reported that a high titer of serum anti-oxLDL antibody was an independent predictor of a low risk for cardiovascular death in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In the present study, we examined a possible association between anti-oxLDL antibody titer and arterial wall thickness in ESRD patients.