BACKGROUND We sought to analyze the relationship between uric acid (UA) and vascular structure and function based on the carotid intima-media thickness, the pulse-wave velocity (PWV), the central arterial pressure, and the augmentation index in hypertensive patients and to evaluate the sex-related differences. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed with 366 hypertensive individuals age...

B-mode ultrasound is increasingly used in clinical research to study the atherosclerotic process in the carotid arteries. The present investigation evaluated the feasibility of measuring intima-media thickness in the common femoral artery and assessed whether such measurement might provide further information on the extent of the atherosclerotic process in patients with familial hypercholestero...

Whether endothelial dysfunction in essential hypertension is a cause or a consequence of structural vessel wall alterations is not known. The purpose of the present study was to compare flow-mediated vasodilation and mechanical vessel wall properties of large arteries between never treated mild essential hypertensive patients with normal intima-media thickness (IMT) and those exhibiting intima-...

BACKGROUND Adipokines contribute directly to the atherosclerotic process, connecting metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease. Omentin-1 is a recently discovered novel adipokine, so data about the relationship of this adipokine to vascular health in type 2 diabetes is limited. METHODS We enrolled 60 people with type 2 diabetes, with or without carotid plaque,...

BACKGROUND Despite beneficial effects of physical activity on cardiovascular risk, discordant data on elite athletes (high atherosclerotic damage in activity comprising strenuous exertion) and retired sportsmen are reported in the literature. HYPOTHESIS We hypothesize that long-lasting daily physical activity could affect the morphology and function of the carotid and femoral vessel walls dif...

Background—Assisted reproductive technology (ART) involves the manipulation of early embryos at a time when they may be particularly vulnerable to external disturbances. Environmental influences during the embryonic and fetal development influence the individual’s susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, raising concerns about the potential consequences of ART on the long-term health of the of...

BACKGROUND Assisted reproductive technology (ART) involves the manipulation of early embryos at a time when they may be particularly vulnerable to external disturbances. Environmental influences during the embryonic and fetal development influence the individual's susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, raising concerns about the potential consequences of ART on the long-term health of the of...

background: carotid ultrasound appears to be useful in the assessment of cardiovascular risk. in this study, we have assessed the carotid intima-media thickness (cimt) in a group of individuals without a history of cardiovascular events. methods: a sample of 431subjects (189 [43.9%] males and 242 [56.1%] females) was obtained from an urban population using a stratifi ed-cluster method in mashha...