The Carotid Artery Plaque Size and Echogenicity are Related to Different Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Elderly

Lipids ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessika Andersson ◽  
Johan Sundström ◽  
Lisa Kurland ◽  
Thomas Gustavsson ◽  
Johannes Hulthe ◽  
...  
VASA ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giannoukas ◽  
Sfyroeras ◽  
Griffin ◽  
Saleptsis ◽  
Antoniou ◽  
...  

Background: Severity of stenosis remains the main factor for assessing risk of stroke in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) disease. This study was conducted to investigate the association of plaque echostructure and other established and emerging cardiovascular risk factors with symptomatic ICA disease. Design: Cross-sectional study of consecutive patients with significant (> 50 %) ICA stenosis. Patients and methods: Carotid plaque echostructure, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate, cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and the Framingham risk score were assessed in 124 consecutive patients (70 asymptomatic; 54 symptomatic) with significant (> 50 %) ICA stenosis. Results: The asymptomatic and symptomatic groups did not differ in terms of gender distribution (p = 0.76) and severity of stenosis (p = 0.62). Echolucent plaques (type 1 and 2) were more predominant in patients with symptomatic disease (p = 0.004, OR = 2.13, 95 % CI = 1.26-3.6). Patients with plaques type 1 were relatively younger than those with type 4 (p = 0.02). None of the other factors assessed had any significant association with symptomatic disease and any type of carotid plaque. Conclusions: Besides the severity of carotid stenosis, the presence of an echolucent plaque appears as an important factor associated with symptomatic ICA disease. Also, young patients are more likely to have an echolucent plaque suggesting an age-related association with plaque maturation.


Author(s):  
Maria do Céu Mendes Pinto Marques ◽  
Ana Filipa Pereira Vaz ◽  
Ana Sofia Emídio Cardoso Leite ◽  
Cláudia Sofia Araújo ◽  
Cláudia Roque Condeço ◽  
...  

The objective of this chapter is to identify cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly and their prevalence in the elderly population of Alentejo. The research question was elaborated according to the PI[C]OD methodology. The prevalence studies included allow the authors to identify the risk factors with the greatest impact on cardiovascular diseases, with the analysis of at least one of the factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, alcoholism, and sedentary lifestyle) and their prevalence in the elderly from the region of Alentejo. The results present the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, mainly at the national level, compared to those at the regional level, with a small number of exclusive studies in the Alentejo region, while simultaneously disaggregating the results by age group. From the data obtained, it can be concluded that the prevalence of risk factors is generally increased in the elderly population and, consequently, in Alentejo, because it is a region in the interior of the country that is predominantly rural and very old.


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