Asymmetric dimethylarginine is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease: results from the multicenter Coronary Artery Risk Determination investigating the Influence of ADMA Concentration (CARDIAC) study.

Background: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) plasma levels have been shown to be elevated in diseases related to endothelial dysfunction such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and others. It has been shown that ADMA predicts cardiovascular mortality in patients who have coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the question whether ADMA is an independent risk factor for CHD still remains unresolved.

PMN/platelets coinfused in guinea pig hearts Exposed to low-flow ischemia have no additive cardiodepressive effect.

Recent studies revealed an additive cardiodepressive effect of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) and thrombocytes in hearts exposed to a no-flow ischemia. To find out whether or not this is also true for isolated guinea pig hearts exposed to a low-flow ischemia, the current study was performed. PMN or thrombocytes, together or separately, were applied as a 1-min bolus (1,000/microl or 20,000/microl, respectively) during ischemia or in reperfusion in the presence of thrombin (0.

Influence of lipid-lowering therapy on the progression of coronary artery calcification: a prospective evaluation.

Background: Coronary calcification measured by fast computed tomography techniques is a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden. In a cohort study, we prospectively investigated whether lipid-lowering therapy with a cholesterol synthesis enzyme inhibitor reduces the progression of coronary calcification.

Methods And Results: In 66 patients with coronary calcifications in electron beam tomography (EBT), LDL cholesterol >130 mg/dL, and no lipid-lowering treatment, the EBT scan was repeated after a mean interval of 14 months and treatment with cerivastatin was initiated (0.