Impact of cardiometabolic risk factors on major cardiovascular events in patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Background: Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) is an inherited lipid disorder associated with premature cardiovascular disease. It has not been established whether the cardiometabolic risk factors, which frequently accompany FCH, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hypertension, modulate cardiovascular risk in FCH patients.

Methods And Results: In this single-center, retrospective study, 695 FCH patients with adequate follow-up were enrolled (mean age, 48.

Periodontal disease is associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein in non-diabetic, non-smoking acute myocardial infarction patients.

Objectives: A link between periodontal disease (PD) and cardiovascular events has been proposed, but confounding by shared risk factors such as smoking and diabetes remains a concern. We examined the prevalence of PD and its contribution to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients and in subjects without AMI and with angiographically nonobstructive coronary disease in the absence of these confounding risk factors.

Methods: Periodontal status and admission CRP levels were evaluated in 87 non-diabetic and non-smoking subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Comparative value of simple inflammatory markers in the prediction of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in postacute coronary syndrome patients.

Objectives: We sought to assess the comparative value of inflammatory markers on the occurrence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: During 2006-2008, 760 patients with an ACS were enrolled. C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count were measured during the first 12 hours of hospital admission.

Chronic systemic inflammation accompanies impaired ventricular diastolic function, detected by Doppler imaging, in patients with newly diagnosed systolic heart failure (Hellenic Heart Failure Study).

We sought to evaluate the relationship between plasma cytokine levels (sCD14, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, and interleukin [IL]-6) and tissue Doppler derived indices of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in patients with newly diagnosed heart failure. We enrolled 101 consecutive patients (mean age 65+/-13 years) with newly diagnosed heart failure who were hospitalized in our institute. Echocardiographic assessment was performed in all patients during the third day of their initial hospitalization.

The impact of ezetimibe and high-dose of statin treatment on LDL levels in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

We evaluated the efficacy and the safety of combining high doses of statins and ezetimibe in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hFH) patients. Seventy patients with hFH, received 10 mg of ezetimibe, in addition to their current statin therapy and were followed up for twelve months. The co-administration of statins and ezetimibe improved total cholesterol (p<0.

Prevalence and determinants of coronary artery disease in males and females with familial combined hyperlipidaemia.

Background: Familial combined hyperlipidaemia (FCH) is an inherited dyslipidaemia that is related to a high risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated the prevalence of CAD in a large FCH population and the association of risk factors with CAD according to gender.

Methods: In this single-center, observational study, lipid and lipoprotein variables were measured in untreated patients with FCH (565 males and 302 females).

Evidence that non-lipid cardiovascular risk factors are associated with high prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Background: Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hFH) and familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) have been associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), but the impact of traditional risk factors to the incidence of CAD in these patients remains unknown. The present study evaluates the contribution of such risk factors to the development of CAD in these two dyslipidemic populations.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled a total 1306 subjects; 600 individuals with hFH (mean age 41+/-13 years, 261 males and 339 females), and 706 individuals with FCH (mean age 49+/-11 years, 463 males and 243 females).

Metabolic syndrome prevalence and characteristics in Greek adults with familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) is closely related with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), and coronary artery disease (CAD) is positively associated to MetSyn and FCH. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of MetSyn and its components between patients with FCH and a control group. We also investigated the role of MetSyn and diabetes mellitus (DM) on the incidence of CAD within the FCH group.

The association between pre-hypertension status and oxidative stress markers related to atherosclerotic disease: the ATTICA study.

Background: We sought to evaluate the association between pre-hypertension status and oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL)), in a random sample of cardiovascular disease-free adults.

Methods: The ATTICA study is a cross-sectional population-based survey that conducted in Attica region during 2001-2002. Based on a multistage and stratified random sampling, 1514 men and 1528 women (18-89 years old) were enrolled.

Status and management of hypertension in Greece: role of the adoption of a Mediterranean diet: the Attica study.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, in a random sample of adults free of cardiovascular disease, in Greece. A secondary goal was to evaluate the association between hypertension status and adoption of the Mediterranean diet.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

The adoption of Mediterranean diet attenuates the development of acute coronary syndromes in people with the metabolic syndrome.

Objectives: In this work we investigated the effect of the consumption of the Mediterranean diet on coronary risk, in subjects with the metabolic syndrome.

Methods: During 2000-2002, we randomly selected, from all Greek regions, 848 hospitalised patients (695 males, 58 +/- 10 & 153 females, 65 +/- 9 years old) with a first event of acute coronary syndrome and 1078 frequency matched, by sex, age, region controls, without any suspicious for cardiovascular disease. Nutritional habits were evaluated through a validated questionnaire, while the metabolic syndrome was defined according to the NCEP ATP III criteria.