The Impact of Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Childhood Asthma in a Medicaid Managed Care Plan.

Background: Tobacco smoke exposure increases breathing problems of children. Texas Children's Health Plan is a Managed Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care provider. The aim of this study is to determine associations among tobacco smoke exposure, asthma prevalence, and asthma health-care utilization.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 mass is significantly reduced in dyslipidemic patients treated with lifestyle modification and combination lipid-modifying drug therapy.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)) mass is a novel inflammatory biomarker. In human blood, Lp-PLA(2) is predominately associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This study examines the ability of lifestyle modification (diet and exercise) and combination lipid therapy to reduce Lp-PLA(2) levels while also determining the relationship between changes in LDL cholesterol and Lp-PLA(2).

The role of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: an updated review.

Insulin resistance is the main pathologic mechanism that links the constellation of clinical, metabolic and anthropometric traits with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus. These traits include hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose intolerance, endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and generalized and upper body fat redistribution. This cluster is often referred to as insulin resistance syndrome.

Efficacy of combination drug pulse therapy in maintaining lipid levels in patients intolerant of daily statin use.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combination drug pulse therapy in maintaining lipid levels in patients intolerant of a daily dose of statins. Twenty-three patients, previously receiving aggressive statin therapy, were treated twice weekly with rosuvastatin or atorvastatin in different dosages along with ezetimibe as well as daily doses of bile acid sequestrant for a mean period of 4.5 months.

Effects of lifestyle counseling and combination lipid-modifying therapy on lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 mass concentration.

Background: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)) is a novel inflammatory biomarker that is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk independent of and additive to traditional risk factors. Lp-PLA(2) activity is correlated with the degree of inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque. In human blood, approximately 80% of Lp-PLA(2) is associated with low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

The role of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 on cardiovascular disease risk assessment and plaque rupture: a clinical review.

During the last several last decades, reduction in lipids has been the main focus to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Several lines of evidence, however, have indicated that lipids account only for the <50% of variability in cardiovascular risk in the United States. Therefore, for better identification of people at high cardiovascular risk, a more effective and complete approach is required.