AIMS: Susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy has not yet been causally linked to any genetic factors. We investigated in nuclear families whether parental ambulatory blood pressure, lipids and urine albumin excretion were early markers of risk of microalbuminuria in young adults with Type 1 diabetes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A subset of ...

PURPOSE: To describe the distribution and to assess the association of serum total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration with variables associated with insulin resistance syndrome in adolescent boys and girls. METHODS: In the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adolescents aged 12 to 16 years (n = 941) had parental medical ...

HYPOTHESIS: Diminished decline of blood pressure at night has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Exogenous melatonin given to healthy normotensive adults reduces blood pressure. We hypothesized that melatonin increases the decline of blood pressure during sleep in normotensive adolescents with type 1 diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven ...

BACKGROUND: The economic crisis in Sweden in the 1990s led to major reorganization at many workplaces, which appears to have had negative consequences for occupational and public health. METHODS: Psychosocial questionnaires and medical screening data for 3,904 white-collar employees in 15 major companies plus a large number of small-scale entrepreneurs ...

CONTEXT: Control of blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels is proven to reduce the risk of vascular disease among individuals with diabetes mellitus; however, the current state of control of these risk factors among individuals in the United States is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To examine 1999-2000 national data on ...

OBJECTIVE: In this study we examine the association between body mass index and a wide range of metabolic coronary heart disease risk factors in a female population of South Italy. DESIGN: Observational study named "VIP Project" divided in three phases: collection of data, follow-up of the population and new controls ...

To characterise the relationship between diurnal blood pressure and the subsequent increase of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in normotensive normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed in 53 patients, who were then followed for 5 years. Albumin excretion rate changed from 12.4 (8.9-17.2) to 29.3 ...

BACKGROUND: Many studies have analysed the relation between cardiovascular risk factors and oral contraceptive use in adult women, whereas information on the possible health effects of oral contraceptive use during adolescence is lacking. DESIGN: The effect of current contraceptive pill use on blood pressure and serum total cholesterol concentration was ...

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and autoantibodies to OxLDL (aOxLDL) are implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of these factors in hypertension, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Samples were obtained from 111 men with established hypertension (diastolic pressure >95 mmHg) ...

AIM: Arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) reflects early stage arteriosclerosis. The influence of hyperinsulinemia on peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is still unknown. We determined the influences of hyperinsulinemia on PVD assessed by PWV in moderately hyperglycemic patients. METHODS: Thirty-six moderately hyperglycemic, outcoming patients were recruited in this ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects on blood pressure, lipid profile, and anxiety status on subjects received a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan exercise program. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study of a Tai Chi Chuan group and a group of sedentary life controls. SETTING: Taipei Medical University Hospitals and University campus in the ...

AIMS: To estimate the combined contribution of serum total cholesterol, blood pressure and cigarette smoking to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk after adjustment for regression dilution bias. METHODS AND RESULTS: Six thousand, five hundred and thirteen middle-aged British men without CHD were followed for major CHD events over 10 years. ...

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess serum lipids in healthy young subjects in relation with their BMI. METHODS: Students of Ziauddin Medical University were assessed for anthropometric measures, blood pressure and lipid profile at the time of their admission for MBBS program. RESULTS: Out of 426 students all parameters ...

OBJECTIVE: To test whether the plasma concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP), a sensitive marker of systemic inflammation, is increased in patients with newly diagnosed, never-treated hypertension and whether blood pressure and its pulsatile component, pulse pressure, are correlated with plasma CRP concentration independently of a consistent number of cardiovascular risk ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether hypertension, abnormal lipometabolism, obesity, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking affect the intracerebral hemorrhagic volumes (IHV) in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SIHP), and to explore the roles of these factors in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SIH). METHODS: Five hundred patients with acute SIH and 200 healthy adult ...

Coronary heart disease (CHD) tends to cluster in families, and several established risk factors for the disease are to some extent inherited. Inflammation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and CHD. A low-grade inflammation may be detected by highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein (CRP) determination, which is strongly ...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major health problem in both developed and developing countries. It is hypothesized that high blood pressure is associated with loss of balance between peroxidation and antioxidant factors. MATERIAL/METHODS: 40 patients with essential hypertension were studied to ascertain the effects of a selective b1-blocker (acebutolol, 400 mg/day) ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of systemic hypertension in cats with diabetes mellitus and establish ranges for echocardiographic variables in diabetic cats. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 14 cats with diabetes mellitus and 19 healthy control cats. PROCEDURE: Systolic blood pressure was measured indirectly with a noninvasive Doppler technique. Ophthalmic and ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether fasting blood glucose is independently related to blood pressure at rest and during exercise, and to development of elevated blood pressure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study of 2014 apparently healthy middle-aged men. METHODS: The baseline survey included carefully standardized blood pressure measurements at rest and ...

BACKGROUND: When choosing an antihypertensive drug for patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM), the metabolic side effects, possibility of improving some metabolic parameters, and need for adequate blood pressure control must all be considered. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare the impacts of perindopril and candesartan ...

Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery may represent early atherosclerosis. Although several studies have evaluated risk factors for carotid IMT, only limited information is available concerning risk factors for the progression of carotid IMT. The present study was designed to determine risk factors for the progression of carotid ...

BACKGROUND: Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is associated with increased risk for developing coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular disease is characterized by increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial stiffness, but the effect of low HDL on these measurements has not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 18 apparently healthy subjects ...

BACKGROUND: Lipid abnormalities are common in patients with hypertension. The prevalence of isolated lipid abnormalities is not known in normotensive and hypertensive population of north-west India. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of isolated low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (IL-HDLC), isolated high low density lipoprotein cholesterol (IH-LDLC) and isolated high triglycerides ...

BACKGROUND: Genetic studies of life span in humans have used broad survival measures, most commonly longevity, which is moderately correlated between parents and offspring. We examined whether genetic cardiovascular disease risk factors in male twin offspring are related to longevity of their parents in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood ...

We examined cellular membrane fatty acid composition and insulin sensitivity in patients with mild essential hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and investigated whether bezafibrate, a lipid-lowering drug, could improve elevated blood pressure and insulin sensitivity in these subjects by ameliorating cellular membrane fatty acid composition. Twenty-seven subjects were recruited. Twelve men with ...

Variations of circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are supposed to reflect chronic inflammatory process of the cardiovascular system. In particular, it has been reported that high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) is a promising marker of coronary heart disease. In the present study, we assessed the relationship between hsCRP and classic cardiovascular risk ...

At present, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) can be measured easily and noninvasively. We studied the correlation between aortic damage estimated by baPWV and that determined by measuring the length of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) on X-ray films, which parameter has been significantly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. baPWV ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of rosiglitazone on insulin resistance and blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension, classified based on abnormalities of their renin-angiotensin system. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 24 hypertensive nondiabetic patients (age 58 +/- 6 years, BMI 30 +/- 5 kg/m2) were studied before ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present work was to investigate intima media thickness (IMT) in healthy and in hypertensive adolescents and its influencing factors. METHODS: 103 hypertensive and 58 healthy adolescents were studied. IMT was measured in the common carotid artery using B-mode ultrasonography. Additionally, laboratory parameters (blood glucose, cholesterol, ...

AIM: The authors present an analysis of time trends in blood pressure, hypertension, and lipids in the adult population of Northern Sweden over the period 1986-99. METHOD: Four population surveys were undertaken with new and independent cohorts, 25-64 years old. RESULTS: Small changes in blood pressure were observed during the ...

BACKGROUND: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) not only plays an important role in plaque formation, but also impairs the endothelium-dependent relaxation. Constrictive remodeling rather than intimal hyperplasia mainly contributes to restenosis after balloon angioplasty. Probucol (powerful antioxidant) reduced restenosis rate by improving constrictive remodeling. Thus, oxLDL may modulate coronary arterial remodeling. ...

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen has been found to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its variability in plasma. However, whether the relation between fibrinogen and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is independent of those factors has not been established. Therefore, the aim of this ...

The concept of frame size has not undergone a thorough evaluation in non-Caucasian populations. Using data from the Central Asia High Altitude Population (CAHAP) study, we tested whether: (1) the relationship between frame size and body composition is different in high-, medium- and low-altitude populations; (2) elbow breadth is a ...

BACKGROUND: The multiple metabolic syndrome is defined by a clustering of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We sought to evaluate the familial correlations of the components of the syndrome using data from the Framingham Heart Study original and offspring cohorts as provided for the Genetic Analysis Workshop 13. Measures of ...

Diabetic nephropathy in type I diabetic patients, as it is currently understood, progresses in a stepwise fashion from normoalbuminuria to microalbuminuria, then to overt proteinuria and progression to chronic renal failure, and ultimately to end-stage renal disease. The role of early blood pressure changes in relation to diabetic nephropathy is ...

OBJECTIVE: Recently, repeated home blood pressure (HBP) measurements in the morning for a long period have been shown to have a stronger predictive power for mortality in patients with hypertension than occasional casual/clinic blood pressure (CBP) measurements. We studied whether HBP in the morning in type 2 diabetic patients is ...

Serum vitamin C has been inversely associated with blood pressure in several epidemiologic studies, but little is known about effect of other antioxidant vitamins. We examined the relation between serum vitamins A, C, and E, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene levels and blood pressure among 15 317 men and women > or ...

AIMS: Although lead exposure has, in the absence of mathematical modelling, been believed to elevate blood pressure in females, it is necessary to clarify the relation between lead and blood pressure by eliminating confounding factors in the analysis. METHODS: Blood lead was measured in 193 female workers, including 123 lead ...

The association of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia to blood pressure has remained controversial. We examined the association of insulinemia to hypertension and blood pressure using baseline measurements for participants of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). The DPP is a multicenter randomized controlled trial of 3819 participants with impaired glucose tolerance, ...

Epifluorescence microscopy is used to determine phase diagrams for lipid monolayers containing binary mixtures of cholesterol or dihydrocholesterol and dimyristoylphosphatidylserine, as well as ternary mixtures that also contain ganglioside G(M1). The phase diagrams are unusual in that they show multiple critical points: two upper miscibility critical points and one lower ...

In this study, respiratory functions, cardiovascular parameters and lipid profile of those practicing Raja Yoga meditation (short and long term meditators) were compared with those of nonmediators. Vital capacity, tidal volume and breath holding were significantly higher in short and long term meditators than nonmeditators. Long term mediators had significantly ...

OBJECTIVES: The apolipoprotein epsilon 4 allele (APOE/epsilon 4) increases plasma cholesterol level and the risk for the late onset type of Alzheimer's disease. However, the correlation between hypertension and APOE/epsilon 4 has not yet been clarified. To examine the APOE/epsilon 4 effect in the general population of Japan, we performed ...

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest a synergistic effect of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia on the progression of atherosclerosis. The alpha-blocker doxazosin has favourable effects on plasma lipids, insulin resistance and blood pressure, while the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) principally affects blood pressure and increases insulin resistance. METHODS: A randomised double-blind study over 36 ...

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR) is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. One mechanism is thought to be the impaired vasodilation, which can lead to a reduction in peripheral blood flow. Hypertensive patients with IR have greater intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery (CCA) than those without IR. However, ...

There is increasing evidence that hypertension promotes low density lipoprotein (LDL) transportation into the subendothelial space of the vascular wall. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays an important role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that LDL acts as a classic growth ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuria often have elevated blood pressure while they are asleep, but it is not known whether the elevation develops concomitantly with microalbuminuria or precedes it. METHODS: We monitored 75 adolescents and young adults who had had type 1 diabetes with normal urinary ...

We conducted noninvasive measures of vascular compliance and glucose tolerance in 275 normotensive and hypertensive subjects. Of the total, 194 (70.5%) were hypertensive, 73 (26%) diabetic, 7 (2.5%) normotensive and diabetic and 66 (24%) both hypertensive and diabetic, and 74 (27%) normotensive and nondiabetic. In addition, 57 of the nondiabetic ...

BACKGROUND: Many cardiovascular risk factors are found in hypertensive patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between cardiac abnormalities (ie, diastolic and left ventricular hypertrophy) with other cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women with hypertension. METHODS: A total of 200 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age 47.5+/-4 ...

Based on studies in diabetic and hypertensive populations it has been postulated that early endothelial dysfunction is the mechanism responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk in microalbuminuric subjects. We evaluated the relation between microalbuminuria and endothelial dysfunction, assessed as flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, in an apparently healthy population. ...

Non-dipping, ie failure to lower blood pressure during sleep, has been found to be more prevalent in diabetic than in non-diabetic subjects. However, the reasons remain to be clarified. Diabetic patients may wake up more frequently during the night (for instance, due to nocturia). This may result in inclusion of ...