Long-Term Prognostic Risk in Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease as a Function of the Number of Peripheral Arterial Lesions.

Background: Although patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are known to have an increased risk of adverse prognosis, simple techniques to further risk-stratify PAD patients would be clinically useful. A plausible but unexplored factor to predict such risk would be greater disease burden, manifested as multiple lower extremity lesions. The aim of this study was to examine the association between having multiple versus isolated lower extremity PAD lesions and long-term prognosis.

Gender differences in health status and adverse outcomes among patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Background: Few studies have examined gender differences in health status and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This study assessed (1) self-reported health status at PAD diagnosis and 12-months later, and explored (2) whether outcomes in women with PAD differ with regard to long-term major adverse events.

Methods And Results: A total of 816 patients (285 women) with PAD were enrolled from 2 vascular clinics in the Netherlands.

Determinants of invasive treatment in lower extremity peripheral arterial disease.

Objective: Since it is unknown what factors are weighed in a clinician's decision to refer patients with symptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) for invasive treatment, we examined the relationship between health status, lesion location, and site variations and invasive treatment referral ≤1 year following diagnosis in patients with PAD.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study on ambulatory patients that presented themselves at two vascular surgery outpatient clinics. A total of 970 patients with new symptoms of PAD or with an exacerbation of existing PAD symptoms that required clinical evaluation and treatment (Rutherford Grade I) were eligible, 884 consented and were included between March 2006 and November 2010.

A shift toward endovascular repair for vascular complications in lumbar disc surgery during the last decade.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate 2 patients who underwent endovascular repair directly after acute life-threatening vascular injury complicating lumbar disc surgery, and to update an overview of the literature from 2002 to gain insights into characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of this rare, life-threatening complication.

Methods: PubMed was searched for English language studies on vascular injury (lacerations, arteriovenous fistulas, and pseudoaneurysms) complicating lumbar disc surgery by a posterior approach published from 2002. Two cases from the authors' institute were added to the review.

Report of two in situ reconstructions with a saphenous spiral vein graft of Coxiella burnetii-infected aneurysms of the abdominal aorta.

Coxiella burnetii is a rare cause of vascular infections. Yet, Q fever is endemic in the southern part of The Netherlands. This report describes two patients--from the southern part of The Netherlands--with infected aneurysms of the abdominal aorta caused by Coxiella burnetii.

Infected abdominal aneurysm due to Salmonella sepsis: report of a unique case treated using the superficial femoral vein.

We describe a 61-year-old patient with an infected aneurysm of the abdominal aorta due to Salmonella sepsis. Treatment was successful and included aneurysm resection, extensive debridement, and reconstruction of the abdominal aorta using the superficial femoral vein, combined with long-term antibiotic therapy.

Self-reported symptoms on questionnaires and anatomic lesions on duplex ultrasound examinations in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Objective: Whether a typical patient and symptom profile is associated with proximal or distal lesions in lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is unknown. Knowing which patient characteristics, exertional leg symptoms, and cardiovascular risk profile accompany the anatomic lesion location may facilitate a more tailor-made management of PAD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 701 patients from two vascular surgery outpatient clinics with new-onset symptoms of PAD (Fontaine 2) who underwent duplex ultrasound (DUS) examinations from March 2006 to March 2011.

Genome-based prediction of breast cancer risk in the general population: a modeling study based on meta-analyses of genetic associations.

Background: Genome-wide association studies identified novel breast cancer susceptibility variants that could be used to predict breast cancer in asymptomatic women. This review and modeling study aimed to investigate the current and potential predictive performance of genetic risk models.

Methods: Genotypes and disease status were simulated for a population of 10,000 women.

Improvement of risk prediction by genomic profiling: reclassification measures versus the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Reclassification is observed even when there is no or minimal improvement in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and it is unclear whether it indicates improved clinical utility. The authors investigated total reclassification, net reclassification improvement, and integrated discrimination improvement for different DeltaAUC using empirical and simulated data. Empirical analyses compared prediction of type 2 diabetes risk based on age, sex, and body mass index with prediction updated with 18 established genetic risk factors.