Coronary plaque stabilization followed by Color Code Plaque analysis with 64-slice multidetector row computed tomography.

A 61-year-old woman with hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus was referred to hospital for the evaluation of chest pain at rest. Eccentric 50% stenosis in the proximal right coronary artery was detected by 64-slice multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT). The plaque morphology was considered as soft by Color Code Plaque (CCP) analysis.

Plasma levels of oxidized low density lipoprotein are associated with stable angina pectoris and modalities of acute coronary syndrome.

The role of plasma levels of oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) has not been fully elucidated. We examined the relationship among plasma levels of OxLDL, measured by an enzyme immunoassay using an antibody against OxLDL (FOH1a/DLH3) and apolipoprotein B, CHD, and modalities at the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 115 individuals who underwent coronary angiography were studied.

Association of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and carotid intima-media wall thickness in Japanese Americans.

Background: Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) infection has been proposed as a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), but it remains unclear whether Cp plays a role in the progression of early stage carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: The associations among Cp IgG/IgA antibodies, inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6, and the maximal progression of carotid intima-media wall thickness (max IMT) were evaluated using ultrasonography in 259 Japanese Americans. The presence of Cp IgG or IgA antibodies itself did not show significant correlation with max IMT after adjustment for age and sex.

Hemodynamic consequences of a swinging, infarcted ventricular septum.

Noonan syndrome presents with dysmorphic facial features, short stature, and cardiac abnormalities (most commonly pulmonic stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This report describes a rare case accompanied by a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricular septal aneurysm causing right ventricular (RV) pressure gradient. A 29-year-old mentally retarded man was admitted to hospital with exertional dyspnea.

Pulse wave velocity predicts cardiovascular mortality: findings from the Hawaii-Los Angeles-Hiroshima study.

Background: Arterial stiffness measurements, generally from pulse wave velocity (PWV), are widely used with little knowledge of their relationship to long-term cardiovascular mortality in general populations.

Methods And Results: We studied a cohort of 492 Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii (mean age: 63.7 +/-8.

Influence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection on aortic stiffness in healthy young men.

Though Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, its role in early atherogenesis has not been well elucidated. To clarify whether C. pneumoniae infection was related to early atherogenesis, we evaluated the association between serological detection of C.