scholarly journals Efficacy of high- versus moderate-dose statin therapy on lower extremity artery disease after revascularization

Author(s):  
Ayhan KÜP ◽  
Batur KANAR ◽  
Abdulkadir USLU ◽  
Regayip ZEHİR ◽  
Dursun AKASLAN ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mislav Vrsalovic ◽  
Victor Aboyans

Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) is a marker of a more advanced atherosclerotic process often affecting multiple vascular beds beyond the lower limbs, with a consequent increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Antithrombotic therapy is the cornerstone of management of these patients to prevent ischaemic cardiovascular and limb events and death. In patients with symptomatic LEAD, the efficacy of aspirin has been established long ago for the prevention of cardiovascular events. In the current guidelines, clopidogrel may be preferred over aspirin following its incremental ability to prevent cardiovascular events, while ticagrelor is not superior to clopidogrel in reducing cardiovascular outcomes. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT, aspirin with clopidogrel) is currently recommended for at least 1 month after endovascular interventions irrespective of the stent type. Antiplatelet monotherapy is recommended after infra-inguinal bypass surgery, and DAPT may be considered in below-the-knee bypass with a prosthetic graft. In symptomatic LEAD, the addition of anticoagulant (vitamin K antagonists) to antiplatelet therapy increased the risk of major and life-threatening bleeding without benefit regarding cardiovascular outcomes. In a recent trial, low dose of direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban plus aspirin showed promising results, not only to reduce death and major cardiovascular events, but also major limb events including amputation. Yet, this option should be considered especially in very high risk patients, after considering also the bleeding risk. Despite all the evidence accumulated since >40 years, many patients with LEAD remain undertreated and deserve close attention and implementation of guidelines advocating the use of antithrombotic therapies, tailored according to their level of risk.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Greg Hutchings ◽  
Łukasz Kruszyna ◽  
Mariusz J. Nawrocki ◽  
Ewa Strauss ◽  
Rut Bryl ◽  
...  

Currently, atherosclerosis, which affects the vascular bed of all vital organs and tissues, is considered as a leading cause of death. Most commonly, atherosclerosis involves coronary and peripheral arteries, which results in acute (e.g., myocardial infarction, lower extremities ischemia) or chronic (persistent ischemia leading to severe heart failure) consequences. All of them have a marked unfavorable impact on the quality of life and are associated with increased mortality and morbidity in human populations. Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD, also defined as peripheral artery disease, PAD) refers to atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the lower extremities, where partial or complete obstruction of peripheral arteries is observed. Decreased perfusion can result in ischemic pain, non-healing wounds, and ischemic ulcers, and significantly reduce the quality of life. However, the progressive atherosclerotic changes cause stimulation of tissue response processes, like vessel wall remodeling and neovascularization. These mechanisms of adapting the vascular network to pathological conditions seem to play a key role in reducing the impact of the changes limiting the flow of blood. Neovascularization as a response to ischemia induces sprouting and expansion of the endothelium to repair and grow the vessels of the circulatory system. Neovascularization consists of three different biological processes: vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and arteriogenesis. Both molecular and environmental factors that may affect the process of development and growth of blood vessels were analyzed. Particular attention was paid to the changes taking place during LEAD. It is important to consider the molecular mechanisms underpinning vessel growth. These mechanisms will also be examined in the context of diseases commonly affecting blood vessel function, or those treatable in part by manipulation of angiogenesis. Furthermore, it may be possible to induce the process of blood vessel development and growth to treat peripheral vascular disease and wound healing. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in regulation of essential cellular signaling pathways such as cell differentiation, proliferation, migration and apoptosis. With regard to the repair processes taking place during diseases such as LEAD, prospective therapeutic methods have been described that could significantly improve the treatment of vessel diseases in the future. Summarizing, regenerative medicine holds the potential to transform the therapeutic methods in heart and vessel diseases treatment.


Author(s):  
Eka Prasetya Budi Mulia ◽  
Kevin Yuwono ◽  
Raden Mohammad Budiarto

Abstract Objectives We aimed to investigate the association between hypertension and asymptomatic lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) in outpatients with known history of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Patients with known history of CAD who have been undergone coronary angiography and have significant coronary artery stenosis (more than 60%) were included. LEAD was defined as ankle-brachial index (ABI) < 0.9 in either leg. The risk of LEAD in hypertensive group was analyzed using chi-square test, and correlation between blood pressure (BP) and ABI was analyzed using Pearson correlation test in SPSS v.25. Results One hundred and four patients were included. 82.7% of patients were male. Mean age was 57.05 ± 7.97. The prevalence of hypertension was 35.6%, and the prevalence of LEAD was 16.3%. A higher proportion of LEAD was found in hypertensive (18.9%) compared to non-hypertensive (14.9%), although not statistically significant (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.46 to 3.85; p=0.598). There was an association between ABI and systolic BP (p=0.016), but not with diastolic BP (p=0.102). Conclusions Our study showed that the prevalence of LEAD in hypertension, especially in the CAD population, is relatively high. There was no association between hypertension and LEAD, but a higher prevalence of LEAD was found in hypertensive patients. Nevertheless, LEAD screening is still recommended in hypertensive patients, especially in the CAD population, given the fact that outcomes of health and mortality are worse for those with concomitants of these diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjami Laivuori ◽  
Johanna Tolva ◽  
A. Inkeri Lokki ◽  
Nina Linder ◽  
Johan Lundin ◽  
...  

Lamellar metaplastic bone, osteoid metaplasia (OM), is found in atherosclerotic plaques, especially in the femoral arteries. In the carotid arteries, OM has been documented to be associated with plaque stability. This study investigated the clinical impact of OM load in femoral artery plaques of patients with lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) by using a deep learning-based image analysis algorithm. Plaques from 90 patients undergoing endarterectomy of the common femoral artery were collected and analyzed. After decalcification and fixation, 4-μm-thick longitudinal sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, digitized, and uploaded as whole-slide images on a cloud-based platform. A deep learning-based image analysis algorithm was trained to analyze the area percentage of OM in whole-slide images. Clinical data were extracted from electronic patient records, and the association with OM was analyzed. Fifty-one (56.7%) sections had OM. Females with diabetes had a higher area percentage of OM than females without diabetes. In male patients, the area percentage of OM inversely correlated with toe pressure and was significantly associated with severe symptoms of LEAD including rest pain, ulcer, or gangrene. According to our results, OM is a typical feature of femoral artery plaques and can be quantified using a deep learning-based image analysis method. The association of OM load with clinical features of LEAD appears to differ between male and female patients, highlighting the need for a gender-specific approach in the study of the mechanisms of atherosclerotic disease. In addition, the role of plaque characteristics in the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions warrants further consideration in the future.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narek A Tmoyan ◽  
Marat V Ezhov ◽  
Olga I Afanasieva ◽  
Uliana V Chubykina ◽  
Elena A Klesareva ◽  
...  

Introduction: There is no common opinion about threshold lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentration for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) risk. Different clinical guidelines and consensus documents postulated cut-off Lp(a) level as 30 mg/dL or 50 mg/dL. We assessed the concentration of Lp(a) that associated with ASCVD of different locations. Methods: The study included 1224 patients with ASCVD. Lp(a) concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group I - Lp(a)<30 mg/dL, group II - 30≤Lp(a)<50 mg/dL, group III - Lp(a)≥50 mg/dL (table). Results: Coronary heart disease, carotid artery disease, lower extremity artery disease, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke were diagnosed in 61%; 34%; 23%; 42% and 11% patients, respectively. Lower extremity artery disease, carotid artery disease and myocardial infarction were more frequent in patients with Lp(a) concentration from 30 to 50 mg/dL compared to patients with Lp(a) <30 mg/dL: 36%, 41%, 48% vs. 17%, 30%, 36% respectively, p<0.01 for all. Subjects with Lp(a) 30-50 mg/dL (n=182, 15%) had a greater odds ratio of lower extremity artery disease, carotid artery disease and myocardial infarction compared to patients with Lp(a) <30 mg/dL (table). ROC analysis demonstrated that Lp(a) cut-off levels for lower extremity artery disease, carotid artery disease, coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction were 26; 21; 37 and 36 mg/dL, respectively. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that in case of Lp(a) cut-off level of 50 mg/dL about 15% of patients are underestimated for the risk of ASCVD. Lp(a) cut-off level for ASCVD is between 20 and 40 mg/dL regarding the atherosclerosis location.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guetl ◽  
Raggam ◽  
Muster ◽  
Gressenberger ◽  
Vujic ◽  
...  

: Background: The white blood cell count to mean platelet volume ratio (WMR) is increasingly gaining importance as a promising prognostic marker in atherosclerotic disease, but data on lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) are not yet available. The principle aim of this study was to assess the association of the WMR with the occurrence of CLTI (chronic limb-threatening ischemia) as the most advanced stage of disease. Methods: This study was performed as a retrospective analysis on 2121 patients with a diagnosis of LEAD. Patients were admitted to the hospital for the reason of LEAD and received conservative or endovascular treatment. Blood sampling, in order to obtain the required values for this analysis, was implemented at admission. Statistical analysis was conducted by univariate regression in a first step and, in case of significance, by multivariate regression additionally. Results: Multivariate regression revealed an increased WMR (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 2.258 (1.460–3.492)), but also advanced age (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 1.050 (1.040–1.061)), increased CRP (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 1.010 (1.007–1.014)), and diabetes (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 2.386 (1.933–2.946)) as independent predictors for CLTI. Conclusions: The WMR presents an easily obtainable and cost-effective parameter to identify LEAD patients at high risk for CLTI.


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