results the mean ages in case and control groups were 60.8 ± 6.8 and 57.5 ± 11.5 years, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.09). thirty patients (54.5%) in case and 32 (58.2%) in control groups were male with no significant difference (p = 0.7). cmv-dna was present in 8 (14.5%) of the cases and 2 (4%) of the controls. cmv-dna was associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis (o...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE An inflammatory response has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Our aim was to clarify which atherosclerotic changes (intima-media complex thickness [IMT] increase, plaque formation, and arterial dilatation) are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and to determine whether there are any gender differences. METHODS Carotid ultrasound and ...

Routine exercise is widely recognized as cardioprotective. Exercise induces a variety of effects within the cardiovasculature, including decreased mitochondrial damage and improved aerobic capacity. It has been generally thought that the transient increase in oxidative stress associated with exercise initiates cardioprotective processes. Somewhat paradoxically, increased oxidative stress associ...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the Total Atherosclerotic Score (TAS), a measurement of the overall atherosclerotic burden of the arterial tree by whole body magnetic resonance angiography (WBMRA), and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke and/or coronary revasculariz...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Different lesion locations in the atherosclerotic carotid bulb stenosis have not been clearly defined. We sought to evaluate 2 locations of carotid bulb stenosis in high-risk patients and to determine the relationship of each location to atherosclerotic risk factors and clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS Atherosclerotic carotid plaques of apical versus body lesion...

Direct noninvasive assessment of the characteristics of coronary atherosclerotic plaques is important to improve cardiovascular risk stratification and to monitor the course of coronary artery disease. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has become an effective tool for noninvasive evaluation of coronary artery calcium and plaque components. Using CCTA, atherosclerotic plaques can b...

BACKGROUND A shared feature among cardiovascular disease risk factors is increased oxidative stress. Because mitochondria are susceptible to damage mediated by oxidative stress, we hypothesized that risk factors (secondhand smoke and hypercholesterolemia) are associated with increased mitochondrial damage in cardiovascular tissues. METHODS AND RESULTS Atherosclerotic lesion formation, mitocho...