scholarly journals Atmospheric variables and subarachnoid hemorrhage: narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold E. Vasquez ◽  
Lakshmi Prasad ◽  
Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar ◽  
Amit Agrawal

Abstract Background Stroke is a neurological emergency that tends to be the first cause of death in many countries. Atmospheric variables are strongly associated with stroke, in which subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been associated in many studies to meteorological risk factors such as air pollution, air pressure, weather changes, and ambient temperature. These characteristics may influence the brain circulation and cause SAH, being diagnosed as idiopathic SAH or SAH with unknown cause. Objective The main objective of this review is to present the most relevant meteorological risk factors that may develop subarachnoid hemorrhage according to the current evidence that supports the strong association. Conclusion Brain vessel circulation may be influenced by atmospheric variables such as air pollution and weather changes, generating intrinsic changes in the intima of the vessels which leads to vasospasm and with comorbidities associated may develop SAH.

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 939-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Carnevale ◽  
Giuseppe Lembo

Genetic AD (Alzheimer's disease) accounts for only few AD cases and is almost exclusively associated with increased amyloid production in the brain. Instead, most patients are affected with the sporadic form of AD and typically have altered clearance mechanisms. The identification of factors that influence the onset and progression of sporadic AD is a key step towards understanding its mechanism(s) and developing successful therapies. An increasing number of epidemiological studies describe a strong association between AD and cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hypertension, that exerts detrimental effects on the cerebral circulation, favouring chronic brain hypoperfusion. However, a clear demonstration of a pathophysiological link between cardiovascular risk factors and AD aetiology is still missing. To increase our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the brain's response to hypertension and their possible role in promoting amyloid deposition in the brain, we have performed and investigated in depth different murine models of hypertension, induced either pharmacologically or mechanically, leading in the long term to plaque formation in the brain parenchyma and around blood vessels. In the present paper, we review the major findings in this particular experimental setting that allow us to study the pathogenetic mechanisms of sporadic AD triggered by vascular risk factors.


Author(s):  
Afaf Enad Alenazy ◽  
Asmaa Enad S. Alenazy ◽  
Maali Salamah N. Alanazi ◽  
Manal Nashi Alshammari

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin illness with an autoimmune pathogenic mannerisms and genetic tendency. It is regarded as erythematous plaques sheltered with silvery scales predominantly over the extensor exteriors, scalp, and lumbosacral region. The prevalence in Saudi Arabia was projected to be 5.3% (53% of psoriasis patients develop it before 30 years of age. Aim: The main objective of this study is to summarize the current evidence regarding prevalence, types, risk factors, associated comorbidities and management of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a systematic review was carried out, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO that examining previous studies regarding psoriasis in KSA. Authors extracted the data, and then the author's names, year and region of publication, the study type, period of study, and the result were reported.                                                                                     Results: The review included 7 studies that illustrate prevalence, types, risk factors, associated comorbidities and management of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia.             Conclusion: The incidence of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia is within previously reported figures worldwide. Family history seems to have a strong association with the occurrence of psoriasis. CVD and psychological disorders seem to be prevalent Saudi psoriatic patients. Topical medications are widely used and effective in psoriasis management in Saudi Arabia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Nicoll

<p>We carried out a review of the correlation between calcification of different arteries and valves and their risk factors to determine the extent of the association. We found a strong correlation between calcification presence, extent and progression between different arterial beds and the aortic valve, suggesting that calcification is a systemic diffuse disease, affecting the arterial tree as a whole. Despite this strong association, a comparison between coronary artery calcification (CAC) and calcification of other arteries may not be strictly valid, since only intimal calcification is seen in the coronary artery while other arteries may also contain medial calcification, with current scanning modalities being incapable of detecting the difference. Furthermore the pathogenesis of each type may be different.</p><p>Calcification seems to appear first in the coronary artery in younger adults but may be more prevalent in the aorta in the elderly, although the incidence is notably higher in the abdominal aorta among women. Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) occurs less frequently than aortic valve calcification (AVC) in asymptomatic subjects only. MAC is correlated with calcification of the aorta and advanced MAC is found with higher CAC but there is little relationship with AVC and calcification of other arterial beds. As with the coronary artery, in the aorta and aortic valve, calcium begets calcium. Although age, male gender and possibly systolic hypertension are most frequently associated with arterial calcification, there is little consistency for other conventional risk factors and MAC and</p><p>abdominal aortic calcification may be more prevalent among postmenopausal women. When the presence of CAC is factored in as a risk factor for calcification of the other arteries, multivariate analysis shows no additional significant risk factors except age.</p><p>Although AVC has been viewed as a cardiac manifestation of atherosclerosis, we found little evidence to suggest that this is also true of MAC.</p>


Author(s):  
Giovanni Imbriani ◽  
Alessandra Panico ◽  
Tiziana Grassi ◽  
Adele Idolo ◽  
Francesca Serio ◽  
...  

The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has rapidly increased globally. Genetic and environmental factors both contribute to the development of ASD. Several studies showed linkage between prenatal, early postnatal air pollution exposure and the risk of developing ASD. We reviewed the available literature concerning the relationship between early-life exposure to air pollutants and ASD onset in childhood. We searched on Medline and Scopus for cohort or case-control studies published in English from 1977 to 2020. A total of 20 articles were selected for the review. We found a strong association between maternal exposure to particulate matter (PM) during pregnancy or in the first years of the children’s life and the risk of the ASD. This association was found to be stronger with PM2.5 and less evident with the other pollutants. Current evidence suggest that pregnancy is the period in which exposure to environmental pollutants seems to be most impactful concerning the onset of ASD in children. Air pollution should be considered among the emerging risk factors for ASD. Further epidemiological and toxicological studies should address molecular pathways involved in the development of ASD and determine specific cause–effect associations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Wenzler ◽  
Christian Knochel ◽  
Ceylan Balaban ◽  
Dominik Kraft ◽  
Juliane Kopf ◽  
...  

Depression is a common neuropsychiatric manifestation among Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. It may compromise everyday activities and lead to a faster cognitive decline as well as worse quality of life. The identification of promising biomarkers may therefore help to timely initiate and improve the treatment of preclinical and clinical states of AD, and to improve the long-term functional outcome. In this narrative review, we report studies that investigated biomarkers for AD-related depression. Genetic findings state AD-related depression as a rather complex, multifactorial trait with relevant environmental and inherited contributors. However, one specific set of genes, the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), specifically the Val66Met polymorphism, may play a crucial role in AD-related depression. Regarding neuroimaging markers, the most promising findings reveal structural impairments in the cortico-subcortical networks that are related to affect regulation and reward / aversion control. Functional imaging studies reveal abnormalities in predominantly frontal and temporal regions. Furthermore, CSF based biomarkers are seen as potentially promising for the diagnostic process showing abnormalities in metabolic pathways that contribute to AD-related depression. However, there is a need for standardization of methodological issues and for replication of current evidence with larger cohorts and prospective studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Fragoulis ◽  
Ismini Panayotidis ◽  
Elena Nikiphorou

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation, however, can spread beyond the joints to involve other organs. During the past few years, it has been well recognized that RA associates with increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) compared with the general population. This seems to be due not only to the increased occurrence in RA of classical CVD risk factors and comorbidities like smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and others but also to the inflammatory burden that RA itself carries. This is not unexpected given the strong links between inflammation and atherosclerosis and CVD. It has been shown that inflammatory cytokines which are present in abundance in RA play a significant role in every step of plaque formation and rupture. Most of the therapeutic regimes used in RA treatment seem to offer significant benefits to that end. However, more studies are needed to clarify the effect of these drugs on various parameters, including the lipid profile. Of note, although pharmacological intervention significantly helps reduce the inflammatory burden and therefore the CVD risk, control of the so-called classical risk factors is equally important. Herein, we review the current evidence for the underlying pathogenic mechanisms linking inflammation with CVD in the context of RA and reflect on the possible impact of treatments used in RA.


Open Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 598-604
Author(s):  
Valentina Opancina ◽  
Snezana Lukic ◽  
Slobodan Jankovic ◽  
Radisa Vojinovic ◽  
Milan Mijailovic

AbstractIntroductionAneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is a type of spontaneous hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) is the most grievous complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors that influence the onset of CVS that develops after endovascular coil embolization of a ruptured aneurysm.Materials and methodsThe study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The patients included in the study were 18 or more years of age, admitted within a period of 24 h of symptom onset, diagnosed and treated at a university medical center in Serbia during a 5-year period.ResultsOur study showed that the maximum recorded international normalized ratio (INR) values in patients who were not receiving anticoagulant therapy and the maximum recorded white blood cells (WBCs) were strongly associated with cerebrovascular spasm, increasing its chances 4.4 and 8.4 times with an increase of each integer of the INR value and 1,000 WBCs, respectively.ConclusionsSAH after the rupture of cerebral aneurysms creates an endocranial inflammatory state whose intensity is probably directly related to the occurrence of vasospasm and its adverse consequences.


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