Christos Georgakopoulos

Electronic Cigarette Smoking Increases Aortic Stiffness and Blood Pressure in Young Smokers

Smoking increases aortic stiffness and blood pressure (BP) [(1)][1], which are both important predictors of cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality [(2,3)][2]. Electronic cigarettes (EC) simulate tobacco cigarettes (TC) and have been advocated as a less harmful alternative [(4)][3]. The effect

Cardiovascular Risk Factors Accelerate Progression of Vascular Aging in the General PopulationNovelty and Significance: Results From the CRAVE Study (Cardiovascular Risk Factors Affecting Vascular Age)

Vascular aging, as assessed by structural and functional arterial properties, is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. We hypothesized that the number of cardiovascular risk factors determines the progression of vascular aging. One hundred forty-two subjects (mean age 51.9 years, 94 men) without established cardiovascular disease were investigated in 2 examinations over a 2-year period. Subjects were classified at baseline according to their number of risk factors (from 0 to 2 and more). Subjects had determinations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, aortic augmentation index, brachial flow-mediated dilatation, and common carotid intima–media thickness and their annual absolute changes were calculated. Subjects with more risk factors had a gradual higher annual progression of pulse wave velocity (0.092 m/s/y for 0, 0.152 m/s/y for 1, and 0.352 m/s/y for 2 and more; P=0.007). Patients with both hypertension and dyslipidemia have 4× higher annual progression rate compared with subjects without these risk factors (0.398 m/s/y versus 0.102 m/s/y). When only subjects 55 years old and under were considered, the progression rate of augmentation index was higher in subjects with more risk factors (1.15%/y versus 1.50%/y versus 2.99%/y, respectively; P=0.037). No association was found with the annual change of flow-mediated dilatation or carotid intima–media thickness. In the general population, increasing number of risk factors is associated with accelerated deterioration of specific indices of vascular aging, such as pulse wave velocity and augmentation index; in contrast, flow-mediated dilatation and carotid intima–media thickness are insensitive to such changes. Accordingly, the former may be more useful for gauging vascular aging.

Statin Therapy and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Aging Patients With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia or Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia: A 10-Year Follow-Up:

We assessed the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) and familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) treated with statins. Participants (n = 280) of mean age 59 ± 5 years were included (90 patients with HeFH, 112 patients with FCH, and 78 aged-matched participants). The median statin intensity treatment product (statin intensity in arbitrary equivalence units × duration of statin therapy in months) was 119 and 85 for patients with HeFH and FCH, respectively, at 10-year follow-up. The incidence of DM was significantly lower in patients with HeFH compared to the patients with FCH (2% vs 20%) and the reference group (2% vs 17%) during the 10-year follow-up period (all Ps < .001). Impaired fasting blood glucose at entry (P < .001) and central obesity (P = .02) were the only independent predictors of DM. The incidence of DM was significantly lower in older patients with HeFH compared to either aged-matched patients with FCH or individuals not receiving statins. Statins did not increase risk of DM in aging patients with FCH. These findings have implications, given the importance of high-intensity statin therapy for prevention of cardiovascular events, especially in patients with HeFH, a population with high cardiovascular risk.

Central Haemodynamics and Prediction of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction

BACKGROUND We investigated whether central hemodynamics predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in erectile dysfunction (ED) patients beyond traditional risk factors. METHODS MACEs in relation to aortic pressures and augmentation index (AIx) were analyzed in 398 patients (mean age, 56 years) with ED but without established cardiovascular (CV) disease. RESULTS During the mean follow-up period of 6.5 years, a total of 29 (6.5%) MACEs occurred. The adjusted relative risk of MACEs was 1.062 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.016-1.116) for a 10-mm Hg increase of aortic systolic pressure, 1.119 (95% CI, 1.036-1.155) for a 10-mm Hg increase of aortic pulse pressure (PP), and 1.191 (95% CI, 1.056-1.372) for a 10% absolute increase of AIx. While aortic pressures and AIx did not significantly improve the C-statistic models, the calibration for all indices was satisfactory. Regarding reclassification, the integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI) indicated improvement in risk discrimination of the models that included AIx and aortic PP compared to the reference model in identifying MACEs (IDI = 0.0069; P = 0.024, and IDI = 0.0060; P = 0.036, respectively). The based on categories for 10-year coronary heart disease risk and adapted at 6.5 years overall net reclassification index showed marginal and indicative risk reclassification for AIx (15.7%, P = 0.12) and aortic PP (7.2%, P = 0.20) respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our results show for the first time that higher central pressures and AIx are associated with increased risk for a MACE in ED patients without known CV disease. Considering the adverse prognostic role of central hemodynamics on outcomes, the present findings may explain part of the increased CV risk associated with ED.

Acute effect of coffee on aortic stiffness and wave reflections in healthy individuals: differential effect according to habitual consumption

Abstract The acute effect of coffee on arterial stiffness and its dependence on habitual consumption was studied in 24 volunteers on four separate occasions during which subjects received: (a) coffee espresso, (b) decaffeinated coffee espresso, (c) caffeine alone and (d) placebo (hot water). The increase in carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx) and augmented pressure (AP) of the aortic pressure waveform after coffee consumption was more pronounced in non-habitual (n = 13) compared to habitual drinkers (n = 11), (differences of maximal changes between groups in PWV, AIx, AP responses by 0.39 m/s, 4.5% and 1.9 mmHg, respectively, for coffee; and by 0.34 m/s, 5.3% and 2.1 mmHg, respectively, for decaffeinated coffee; all p < .05). Caffeine increased PWV, as well as AIx and AP but differences in responses between the two groups were not significant. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a more potent effect on arterial stiffness in non-habitual than habitual coffee consumers, whereas caffeine induces comparable changes in both groups.

Diagnostic modalities in peripheral artery disease

HIGHLIGHTSABI is a well‐established risk predictor.DUS is often the first‐line test both for screening and diagnosis of PAD.In asymptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis 60–99%, DUS could identify patients suitable for CEA.CTA and MRA provide with a ‘roadmap’ of the vascularization.Digital subtraction angiography has been mostly replaced by other less invasive methods except for below‐the‐knee arterial disease. &NA; Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects approximately one in five persons older than 70 years of age and it is often present in patients with concomitant vascular disease in different body territories (e.g. coronary artery disease). Diagnosis at an early stage is important in order to achieve improvement in patients symptoms and prognosis. Remarkable improvements in the field of noninvasive and invasive imaging techniques have led to an advanced level the management of patients with PAD. Throughout this review article, the clinically available diagnostic modalities in PAD are presented. Strong and weaker points are stressed out in a manner that elucidates that no perfect diagnostic method exists. Based on the patients individual profile, as well as on certain aspects of the disease (e.g. morphology of carotid plaque lesions) the attending physician will ultimately decide which diagnostic path will lead to a prompt and correct diagnosis of PAD with the minimum amount of exams and risk for the patient.

Stable Angina Pectoris

Stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) is generally characterized by episodes of reversible myocardial demand/supply mismatch, related to ischemia or hypoxia, which are usually inducible by exercise, emotion, or other stress and reproducible but also may be occurring spontaneously. Such episodes of ischemia/hypoxia are commonly associated with transient chest discomfort (angina pectoris). SCAD also includes the stabilized, often asymptomatic, phases that follow an acute coronary syndrome. Within the population with stable coronary artery disease, an individuals prognosis can vary considerably, depending on baseline clinical, functional, and anatomical characteristics. Prognostic assessment is an important part of the management of patients with stable angina. On the one hand, it is important to reliably identify those patients with more severe forms of disease, who may have an improvement in outcome with more aggressive investigation and—potentially—intervention, including revascularization. On the other hand, it is also important to identify those patients with a less-severe form of disease and a good prognosis, thereby avoiding unnecessary invasive and noninvasive tests and revascularization procedures.

Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation in Metabolic Syndrome.

Whether the increased atrial fibrillation (AF) risk in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients is due to the syndrome as a whole or simply the sum of the risks of its individual component parts is still obscure. These two clinical entities share many pathophysiological links and thus distinction between a casual observation and a significant association is difficult. Biomarkers associated with pathogenesis of AF in the context of MetS have the ability to refine future risk prediction. In the present review we identify circulating substances that could be regarded as potential biomarkers for prediction of incident AF, or of cardiovascular events in the setting of AF in patients with MetS. Cardiac myocyte injury and stress markers (troponin and natriuretic peptides), markers of renal function (glomeral filtration rate, cystatin-C), and inflammation markers/mediators (interleukin- 6, CRP) are promising biomarkers of patients with AF and MetS.

Coronary artery disease topography in relation to rheology of the peripheral small arteries in middle aged erectile dysfunction men

Methods: 146 ED patients (46-61 y/o) with a coronary angiography documented single vessel CAD (> 50% of luminal narrowing) enrolled the study and divided into two subgroups according to the coronary lesions allocation. Patients with left main (LM), proximal or mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD) disease consisted Group 1. Group 2 included the rest of participants. All underwent carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) augmentation index (AIx), carotid intimamedia thickness (IMT) and peak systolic penile Doppler velocity (PSV) evaluation. Low PSV (< 25cm/sec) implies an impaired physiology of the peripheral small arteries network.