Nephrosclerosis and aortic atherosclerosis from age 6 to 70 years in the United States and Mexico.

With increasing age, the thoracic aorta shows progressive fibroplastic intimal thickening, which is thought to be pre-atheromatous. A similar progressive intimal thickening in the renal cortical arteries is the distinguishing feature of the nephrosclerosis which underlies essential hypertension. Therefore, the earliest detectable youthful precursors of atherosclerosis and hypertension show strong morphological resemblances to each other.

[Prevention of coronary atherosclerosis. (V). Prevalence of non-stenotic atheromatous rigidity in men accidentally killed in Mexico City].

The presence of rigid coronary arterial segments was detected during a survey for coronary atherosclerosis in men who died of violent causes. These lesions which traditionally are considered of non-clinical significance, in the absence of stenosis are probably responsible of the clinical and electrocardiographical abnormalities as seen in patients with "normal" coronary arteries using coronary angiography, the best current procedure for the detection of isolated coronary atherosclerosis. We propose these lesions are to be considered as functional lesions and consequently that these lesions should be considered by both, the pathologist and the clinician.

[Prevention of coronary atherosclerosis: (IV): Prevalence of aortic atherosclerosis in Mexico, D.F. Its relation to coronary atherosclerosis].

The severity and prevalence of coronary and aortic atherosclerosis was studied in 174 subjects who died from violent causes in Mexico City. As in other geographic areas, fatty streaks were found early in life (12 years old). Fibrolipid plaques were present in the thoracic aorta at age 15 and at age 19 in the abdominal segment.

Is atherosclerosis increasing in Mexico City?

This report compares quantitative measures of atherosclerosis in aortas and coronaries from autopsies of deceased men from Mexico City collected during 1960 to 1964 and 1986 to 1987. The comparison of lesions in two different time periods provides an opportunity for determining whether the extent of atherosclerosis has changed over time in Mexico City. Three pathologists independently evaluated the extent of fatty streaks (FS), fibrous plaques (FP), calcified plaques (CA), and complicated lesions (CO) in 165 aortas and 120 sets of coronary arteries collected during 1986 to 1987 for comparison with similar gradings of 128 aortas and coronary arteries from the International Atherosclerosis Project in 1960 to 1964.