Psychometric properties of the 20-item toronto alexithymia scale and prevalence of alexithymia in a finnish adolescent population.

The authors assessed, in an adolescent population sample, the internal consistency, test-retest stability, and factor structure of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and established the frequency of alexithymia in this age-group. Pupils (N=882; age-groups: 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds) from two secondary schools completed the TAS-20 questionnaire twice, with a 5-week interval, in a classroom survey setting. TAS total and subscale scores and proportion of subjects exceeding the cut-point for alexithymia are reported for boys and girls.

C-reactive protein and the future risk of thromboembolic stroke in healthy men.

Background: Evidence suggests that C-reactive protein (CRP) is related to thromboembolic (TE) stroke. Whether associations are altered in the presence of other risk factors is unclear. The purpose of this study was to additionally assess the relation between CRP and TE stroke.

C-reactive protein and myocardial infarction.

C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to predict cardiovascular disease. Whether predictions differ across risk factor strata and for short and long-term follow-up has not been clearly examined. The purpose of this report is to assess the relation between CRP and the development of myocardial infarction (MI) over a 20-year period in men in the Honolulu Heart Program.

Correlates of aortic stiffness in elderly individuals: a subgroup of the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background: Arterial stiffness has been associated with aging, hypertension, and diabetes; however, little data has been published examining risk factors associated with arterial stiffness in elderly individuals.

Methods: Longitudinal associations were made between aortic stiffness and risk factors measured approximately 4 years earlier. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), an established index of arterial stiffness, was measured in 356 participants (53.

T helper-cell phenotype regulates atherosclerosis in mice under conditions of mild hypercholesterolemia.

Background: T cells are implicated in atherosclerosis, but little is known about the genetic control or molecular pathways, especially under conditions of mild hypercholesterolemia.

Methods And Results: BALB/c mice, making a CD4+ Th2 (IL-4+) cell response, express both MHC class II antigens (IA(d), IE(d)) and are atherosclerosis-resistant. C57Bl/6 mice produce a CD4+ Th1 (interferon [IFN]gamma+) response, express IA(b) but no IE, and are atherosclerosis-prone.