AMP-activated protein kinase pathway: a potential therapeutic target in cardiometabolic disease.

AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) is a heterotrimetric enzyme that is expressed in many tissues, including the heart and vasculature, and plays a central role in the regulation of energy homoeostasis. It is activated in response to stresses that lead to an increase in the cellular AMP/ATP ratio caused either by inhibition of ATP production (i.e.

Insulin resistance: a potential new target for therapy in patients with heart failure.

There is increasing evidence to suggest that chronic heart failure (CHF) is an insulin resistant (IR) state and that the degree of IR correlates with the severity and mortality of CHF. The pathophysiology of IR in CHF has yet to be fully defined. Additionally, it remains to be determined if IR is merely a marker reflecting the severity of CHF or whether it contributes to the disease in CHF.

The prevalence of treatable left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients who present with noncardiac vascular episodes: a case-control study.

Objectives: We sought to determine the prevalence of treatable left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in patients who present with their first noncardiac vascular episode.

Background: Screening for LV dysfunction in patients who present with their first stroke (cerebrovascular accident), their first transient ischemic attack (TIA) or their first manifestation of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) may represent a golden opportunity to identify treatable LV dysfunction, and so their known high incidence of sudden cardiac death may be reduced.

Methods: Participating in this study were 522 (75%) of 700 consecutive patients (302 patients with stroke, TIA or PVD and 220 age- and gender-matched control subjects).