Association of Flow Parameters and Diameter in the Common Carotid Artery with Impaired Glucose Metabolism

Aortic calcification accelerates cardiac dysfunction via inducing apoptosis of cardiomyocytes

Vascular calcification (VC) is a known predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerosis and chronic renal disease. However, the exact relationship between VC and cardiovascular mortality remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the underlying mechanisms between VC progression, arterial stiffness, and cardiac dysfunction. C57BL/6 mice were administered intraperitoneally vitamin D3 (VD3) at a dosage of 35×104 IU/day for 14 days. At day 42, VC extent, artery elasticity, carotid artery blood flow, aorta pulse propagation velocity, cardiac function, and pathological changes were evaluated. Heart apoptosis was detected using TUNEL and immunohistochemistry staining. In vitro, rat cardiomyocytes H9C2 were exposed to media from calcified rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) cultured in calcification medium, and then H9C2 apoptosis and gene expression related to cardiac function were assessed. VD3-treated mice displayed a significant aortic calcification, increased pulse propagation velocity of aortae, and reduced cardiac function. Aortae showed increased calcification and elastolysis, with increased heart apoptosis. Hearts demonstrated higher levels of ANP, BNP, MMP2, and lower levels of bcl2/bax. Moreover, calcified rat VSMC media induced H9C2 apoptosis and upregulated genes expression linked to cardiac dysfunction. Our data provide evidence that VC accelerates cardiac dysfunction, partially by inducing cardiomyocytes apoptosis.

Associations Among Tooth Loss, Periodontitis, and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: the Nagahama Study

AIMS

This study aimed to clarify the relationships among tooth loss, periodontal condition, and subclinical atherosclerosis from the aspect of intensity, extent, and duration of inflammation.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 9,778 people from the Nagahama Study, a large-scale, general population-based study conducted in Japan. The number of teeth and periodontal status, including the attachment level (AL) and pocket depth (PD) of representative teeth from six regions, were evaluated by dentists. The maximum intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was used as an index of atherosclerosis.

RESULTS

In the multivariate analysis adjusted for conventional risk factors, a large number of missing teeth (＜9 remaining teeth), which related to long-lasting inflammation indicative of the highest stage of periodontitis, was identified as an independent determinant of IMT in a general population (coefficient: 0.042; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.016 to 0.068). The presence of two or more regions with an AL ≥4 mm, which is indicative of the progressing, long-lasting stages of periodontal inflammation, was also independently associated with IMT (coefficient: 0.016; 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.028). On the contrary, PD, a measure of the early and reversible phases of periodontal inflammation, and loss of AL in the group without tooth loss were not significantly associated with IMT, because of the limited degree of accumulated periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that the association between periodontitis and atherosclerosis depends on the inflammation intensity, extent, and duration.

Triglyceride-glucose index and cervical vascular function: outpatient-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and cervical vascular function parameters in the general population without cerebrovascular disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study that recruited a total of 1996 participants without cerebrovascular disease. TyG index was calculated based on fasting triglycerides and glucose. All patients were divided into two groups based on the median TyG index: the high TyG group and the low TyG group. The differences in basic clinical characteristics and neck vascular function parameters between the two groups of participants were compared, and then the correlation between TyG index and neck vascular function parameters was investigated.

RESULTS

Participants with a high TyG index had lower systolic, diastolic, and mean flow velocities in the basilar, vertebral, and internal carotid arteries compared with those with a low TyG index. Participants with a high TyG index had higher pulsatility index in the left vertebral artery and right internal carotid artery, but this difference was not observed in the basilar artery. In addition, TyG index was significantly negatively correlated with systolic, diastolic, and mean flow velocities in the basilar, vertebral, and internal carotid arteries, and the correlation remained after adjusting for confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

In the general population, there was a well-defined correlation between TyG index and cervical vascular function parameters, and increased TyG index was independently associated with reduced cervical vascular blood flow velocity.

Carotid Arterial Stiffness and Cardiometabolic Profiles in Women with Fibromyalgia

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the association between FM and cardiometabolic risk factors and carotid arterial stiffness in FM patients. Methods: The cardiometabolic risk profile was defined based on the Adult Treatment Panel III panel. Carotid intimal media thickness (cIMT) and arterial stiffness were assessed using high-resolution ultrasonography. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to estimate the association between FM and cardiometabolic risk factors. We used a general linear regression to compare the cIMT and carotid beta-index between the participants with and without FM. Pearson’s coefficient was calculated to evaluate the potential correlation between cardiometabolic risk profiles, cIMT, and arterial stiffening in FM. Results: FM participants showed a higher risk of central obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49, 6.91), high triglyceride (OR = 4.73, 95% CI 2.29, 9.79), and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (OR = 4.27, 95% CI 2.07, 8.81) compared to the control group. The FM group exhibited higher beta-index values than the control group (p = 0.003). Although IFG and triglyceride glucose index showed a tendency to correlate with the beta-index, statistical significance was not observed. Conclusions: FM was associated with an increased risk of central obesity, high triglyceride levels, and IFG. Furthermore, advanced arterial stiffness of the carotid artery was observed in FM, which might be correlated with insulin resistance.

Common Carotid Artery Flow Parameters Predict the Incidence of Hypertension

[Figure: see text].