Gut microbiota and its relationship with early vascular ageing in a Spanish population (MIVAS study).

Background: Gut microbiota and its by-products are increasingly recognized as having a decisive role in cardiovascular diseases. The aim is to study the relationship between gut microbiota and early vascular ageing (EVA).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed in Salamanca (Spain) in which 180 subjects aged 45-74 years were recruited.

Reversion of the Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Background: Peripheral artery disease is characterized by an intense inflammatory process that can be associated with a higher mortality rate, particularly in chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). This study aims to compare the evolution of inflammatory markers between patients with claudication with those with CLTI at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Methods And Results: An observational, single-center, and prospective study was conducted.

The Association of Metabolic Dysfunction and Mood Across Lifespan Interacts With the Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity.

Numerous studies suggest a relationship between depression and metabolic syndrome, which is likely influenced by age. Interestingly, functional imaging analysis has shown an association between functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN-FC) and components of metabolic syndrome, which is explored in this study. From a larger longitudinal cohort study on healthy aging, 943 individuals were extensively characterized for mood and cognition.

Gut microbiota composition and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: case-control study protocol (MIVAS study).

Introduction: Intestinal microbiota is arising as a new element in the physiopathology of cardiovascular diseases. A healthy microbiota includes a balanced representation of bacteria with health promotion functions (symbiotes). The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between intestinal microbiota composition and arterial stiffness.

Early Vascular Ageing (EVA): Definitions and Clinical Applicability.

Arterial stiffness has been accumulating evidence as an intermediate cardiovascular endpoint. It has been established as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular disease, and reflects the dissociation between chronologic and biologic age of large arteries-attributing earlier the risk that a normal vascular ageing process had installed to occur several years later. The concept of Early Vascular Ageing (EVA) is developed to establish primordial prevention, identifying individuals whose ageing path has been accelerated either by inherent features, interaction with the environment or arterial exposure to several types of insults that evolve to medial layer morphological changes.

Metabolic syndrome across Europe: different clusters of risk factors.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains a controversial entity. Specific clusters of MetS components - rather than MetS per se - are associated with accelerated arterial ageing and with cardiovascular (CV) events. To investigate whether the distribution of clusters of MetS components differed cross-culturally, we studied 34,821 subjects from 12 cohorts from 10 European countries and one cohort from the USA in the MARE (Metabolic syndrome and Arteries REsearch) Consortium.

The rationale/design of the Guimarães/Vizela study: a multimodal population-based cohort study to determine global cardiovascular risk and disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease and dementia are growing medical and social problems in aging societies. Appropriate knowledge of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline risk factors (RFs) are critical for global CVR health preventive intervention. Many epidemiological studies use case definition based on data collected/measured in a single visit, a fact that can overestimate prevalence rates and distant from clinical practice demanding criteria.

Decreasing arterial aging by controlling blood pressure levels and hypertension: a step forward.

Arterial aging, characterized by arterial stiffening that is clinically evaluable as aortic pulse wave velocity, is risky for CV events, disability, and loss of cognitive function. Today the only adopted strategy to decrease arterial aging/ arterial stiffness is represented by decreasing BP. Selective antihypertensive drug classes (calcium channel blockers, converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonists) showed a beneficial effect on the arterial wall and on both large and small arteries over and above the reduction in BP levels.