High-dose B vitamin supplementation and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Purpose: Although plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels are associated with cardiovascular disease, it remains unclear whether homocysteine is a cause or a marker of atherosclerotic vascular disease. We determined whether reduction of tHcy levels with B vitamin supplementation reduces subclinical atherosclerosis progression.

Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 506 participants 40 to 89 years of age with an initial tHcy >8.

Relation of progression of coronary artery atherosclerosis to risk of cardiovascular events (from the Monitored Atherosclerosis Regression Study).

We investigated whether change in coronary artery atherosclerosis as measured by quantitative coronary angiography is related to cardiovascular event risk. Although many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of statins in decreasing atherosclerotic progression and cardiovascular event risk, a relation between coronary atherosclerotic progression and event risk has not been documented in clinical trials that have evaluated statin therapy. The Monitored Atherosclerosis Regression Study (MARS) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to test whether lovastatin would decrease coronary atherosclerotic progression as measured by quantitative coronary angiography.

Hormone therapy and the progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

Background: In postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease, conjugated equine estrogen with or without continuous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate has failed to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Whether 17beta-estradiol (the endogenous estrogen molecule) alone or administered sequentially with medroxyprogesterone acetate can slow the progression of atherosclerosis is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 226 postmenopausal women (mean age, 63.

Effect of short-term treatment with azithromycin on recurrent ischaemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome in the Azithromycin in Acute Coronary Syndrome (AZACS) trial: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is serological and epidemiological evidence of an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary artery disease. Results of previous smaller studies have indicated a reduction of recurrent ischaemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome when given macrolide antibiotics. We aimed to assess whether short-term treatment with the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin reduces recurrent ischaemic events in patients admitted for unstable angina or myocardial infarction.

Alpha-tocopherol supplementation in healthy individuals reduces low-density lipoprotein oxidation but not atherosclerosis: the Vitamin E Atherosclerosis Prevention Study (VEAPS).

Background: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin E intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In contrast, randomized controlled trials have reported conflicting results as to whether vitamin E supplementation reduces atherosclerosis progression and CVD events.

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of men and women > or =40 years old with an LDL cholesterol level > or =3.