Atherosclerosis News and Research

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Atherosclerosis is the progressive buildup of plaque - the fatty deposits and other cells - in the inner walls of the arteries. The condition is a consequence of elevated cholesterol and for many it's a silent disease, with no visible signs or symptoms. The disease can begin in early adulthood and continues to progress for the rest of a person's life. Despite the serious nature of atherosclerosis, many people do not understand how it develops and progresses.

Clusters of genes within human aortas appear to predict risk for atherosclerosis

Duke University Medical Center researchers have identified specific clusters of genes within human aortas that appear to predict with great specificity which patients may be at highest risk for developing atherosclerosis, as well as the severity of the disease.

28 Sep 2004

Guidant announces plans to initiate vulnerable plaque study

Guidant has announced plans to conduct a study designed to increase clinical understanding of “vulnerable” plaques – lipid-rich coronary lesions that suddenly rupture – that may cause most heart attacks.

27 Sep 2004

Terror fears raise women's level of protein linked to heart disease

Israeli women with chronic fears of terror attacks have higher levels of a blood protein that measures low-grade inflammation and may lead to heart disease, according to a new study.

23 Sep 2004

Evidence pointing to chronic cellular inflammation as the precursor of heart disease and diabetes

Endocrinologists from the University at Buffalo are providing one more link in the growing chain of evidence pointing to chronic cellular inflammation as the precursor of heart disease and diabetes.

21 Sep 2004

Newly completed Chromosome 5 sequence will be a powerful tool for scientists trying to understand human disease

Four years after publicly revealing the official draft human genetic sequence, researchers have reached the halfway point in dotting the i's and crossing the t's of the genetic sentences describing how to build a human.

16 Sep 2004

Missing link between inflammatory markers in the bloodstream and the increased risk of heart attack

The study of 386 Olmsted County, Minn., residents used transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to obtain high-quality images of the lining of the aorta, the main artery through which the heart pumps blood to the body.

14 Sep 2004

Blacks and whites have similar amounts of coronary calcium deposits, which are a sign of atherosclerotic plaques

In contrast to earlier studies that indicated African-Americans tend to have lower amounts of atherosclerosis than whites, despite having higher cardiovascular death rates, heart scans in a large, representative population indicate that blacks and whites have similar amounts of coronary calcium deposits

1 Sep 2004

Common enzyme acts as a natural brake to prevent potentially deadly runaway inflammation

An enzyme found in nearly all animal and human cells acts as a natural brake to prevent potentially deadly runaway inflammation, UCSF scientists have discovered.

30 Aug 2004

High blood pressure combined with elevated LDL cholesterol more than triples risk of heart attack

High blood pressure and high LDL-cholesterol add up to more than just double trouble for heart health, a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

30 Aug 2004

Less invasive procedure to repair aortic aneurysm could reduce death by two-thirds

Early results of a UK study published online by THE LANCET suggest that a surgical procedure to repair aortic aneurysm that is less invasive than conventional open surgery could reduce death within a month of surgery by around two-thirds.

25 Aug 2004

Computed tomography may improve screening of latent atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries over time, known to occur to some degree with aging; but other risk factors (such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history for atherosclerotic disease) that accelerate this process have been identified.

18 Aug 2004

Not all good cholesterol helps to protect arteries from becoming clogged with fatty deposits

HDL becomes dysfunctional, Dr. Hazen said, when myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme present in white blood cells, inhibits the HDL's ability to keep LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, from building up in artery walls.

17 Aug 2004

Red wine is much better for you than gin

Red wine contains many complex compounds including polyphenols, which are absent from gin. They found that drinking red wine had a much greater effect in lowering levels in the bloodstream of so-called “anti-inflammatory” substances that are risk factors in the development of heart disease and stroke.

12 Aug 2004

Structural microvascular changes, visible in the eye, may precede development of severe hypertension

The eyes may be the window to the soul – and future hypertension, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

11 Aug 2004

Effects of oxidative stress on atherosclerosis

Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death among men and women in the United States and account for 40 percent of all mortalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

9 Aug 2004

Novel treatment of patients with high cholesterol focus of national meeting

Implications of recent lipid-lowering clinical trials and the specific changes to the NCEP guidelines will be the focus of discussion by Neil J. Stone, M.D., professor of clinical medicine of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

6 Aug 2004

To prevent heart attack, stroke, amputation, and death, National “PAD Coalition” is formed

Vascular Disease Foundation spearheads new national, multidisciplinary organization to educate patients, clinicians on peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

6 Aug 2004

Approval of cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Pfizer has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing heart attack risk in people with normal to mildly elevated cholesterol levels who have other cardiovascular risk factors.

5 Aug 2004

Atherosclerosis at menopause slowed by diet and exercise

Thickening of artery walls accelerates as women enter menopause, but these signs of the progression of atherosclerosis can be slowed by a lower-fat diet and increased physical activity, according to a new study in the Aug. 4, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.