Vasa-european Journal of Vascular Medicine最新文献

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents one of the most frequent manifestations of atherosclerosis in men and women. In both sexes, PAD is related to classical risk factors of atherosclerosis, which are similarly distributed, but some additional factors determine differences between men and women. More frequent asymptomatic disease in women than in men and less frequent screening in women may result in a false underestimation of the prevalence of PAD in women. All these factors may cause delayed diagnosis and treatment of PAD in women. Estrogen hormones have vasoprotective properties that lower the prevalence of atherosclerosis in women of younger age. However, estrogen probably does not have a protective role against the development of cardiovascular disease in women of an older age. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of less than one year does not appear to reduce the odds of developing PAD in postmenopausal women. It may even increase the risk of morbidity from vascular interventions. However, some studies indicated that HRT for more than one year significantly decreases the risk of PAD if administered early after the last menstruation. Also, treatment of PAD in women differs to some extent from men.

The anatomical variability of the thoracic duct and the right lymphatic duct predisposes them to inadvertent damage following head and neck surgery thereby leading to chyle leak which is an uncommon complication with potentially significant associated morbidity. Although chyle leak is predominately associated with left-sided neck surgery, it also occurs as a complication of the right-sided neck dissection. Variable figures concerning chyle leakage after right-sided neck dissections were reported, ranging from 0 per cent to higher prevalences such as 14%, 24%, 33% and 60% of total cases of chyle leakages associated with neck surgery. The right-sided complications may implicate the right lymphatic duct and right-sided terminations of the thoracic duct into the venous system which occur in about 1-6% of humans. Other clinically relevant conditions involving the right-sided major lymphatic vessels include chyle leaks following right anterior cervical spine surgery, cysts of the right lymphatic duct and dilatation of the right lymphatic duct in the setting of recurrent cervical swelling. This article presents a review of the literature concerning the basic anatomy and the clinical relevance of the right lymphatic duct and the right-sided terminations of the thoracic duct into the venous circulation.

Background: To compare the effectiveness of digital phenotyping of patients diagnosed with arterial hypertension with traditional monitoring methods over a three-year period. Patients and methods: The study was conducted from January 2021 to January 2024 among 800 patients diagnosed with arterial hypertension at 6 clinics in Moscow, Russia, evenly divided into experimental (identification of digital biomarkers of disease progression for digital phenotyping) and control (standard monitoring methods) groups. The intervention included lifestyle changes focused on increasing physical activity, improving sleep quality, reducing stress, and modifying diet. Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group. Systolic blood pressure decreased by 10 mmHg (p<0.001), pulse by 5 beats per minute (p<0.001), and stress level by 2 points (p<0.001) in the experimental group. Additionally, physical activity increased by 15 minutes per day (p<0.001), and sleep quality improved by 2 points on a scale from 1 to 10 (p<0.001). Results: Multiple regression analysis showed a decrease in the significance of digital biomarkers over the study period, indicating a positive response to the intervention. Conclusions: The obtained results emphasize the importance of comprehensive interventions in managing arterial hypertension and its related conditions. Implementing comprehensive lifestyle changes can lead to significant health improvements and serve as an effective preventive strategy. Further research is needed to explore optimal intervention strategies for promoting societal health.

Background: A potential independent association between arterial stiffness (AS) and the development of new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been thoroughly examined. Patients and methods: A total of 6929 participants were collected from the Kailuan study. All participants were free of CKD at the baseline. The participants were divided into four groups based on their brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) values. Cox regression models were used to analyze the relationship between baPWV values and the risk of new-onset CKD. Results: Over the course of a 10.06-year follow-up period, a total of 962 cases of new-onset CKD were documented. Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that a higher baPWV quartile was linked to an increased risk of new-onset CKD. Conclusions: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity has a strong correlation with the development of new-onset CKD. Therefore, baPWV can be considered an innovative indicator for predicting the occurrence of new-onset CKD.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via transfemoral (TF) access is increasingly integral to aortic valve disease treatment, expanding beyond high-risk patients. Despite technical advancements, access-related vascular complications, occurring in approximately 10% of TAVI procedures, remain a substantial challenge. Objective: This study investigated the clinical and morphological characteristics of percutaneous TF-TAVI patients experiencing occlusive (OC) and hemorrhagic (HC) complications managed with surgical or endovascular reintervention. Methods: The cohort included patients from a Dutch and a German tertiary referral hospital, managed with TF-TAVI procedures between 2017 and 2021 that required reintervention for OC or HC. Demographics, comorbidities, procedural details, and preoperative imaging data were collected and compared between groups. Results: Among 109 TF-TAVI patients, 32 with OC and 77 with HC required reintervention. The OC group presented significantly smaller access arterial diameters (common femoral artery: OC 6.7 mm vs. HC 8.9 mm, p<.001; external iliac artery: OC 7.2 mm vs. HC 8.3 mm, p<.001; common iliac artery: OC 9.4 mm vs. HC 10.5 mm, p=.012) while the HC group presented higher tortuosity index (TI) (OC 1.24 vs. HC 1.30; p=.017). No differences were observed regarding baseline characteristics, vessel calcification or vascular closure device use. Conclusions: In patients requiring reintervention following TF-TAVI, smaller arterial diameters were associated with OC, while higher TI was linked to HC. These findings emphasize the importance of preoperative imaging in developing individualized prevention strategies.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a cause of considerable morbidity worldwide. It is a common clinical disease in the daily practice of several medical disciplines including general medicine, angiology, and internal medicine, as well as of interest to public health because of its preventability and its sensitivity to secular changes in the distribution of population risk factors. In this review we present a comprehensive overview of the epidemiological features of DVT, including incidence and risk factors. Additionally, we give an overview of the burden that DVT poses on modern health care systems.

The treatment of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs includes an initial management phase, covering the first 1 to 3 weeks, a primary treatment phase, lasting a minimum of 3 months, and a secondary treatment phase for those patients requiring continuing anticoagulation beyond the first 3 to 6 months. During the initial phase most patients with DVT can be managed as outpatients. Exclusion criteria for home treatment include high risk of bleeding, limb threatening DVT or other conditions requiring hospitalisation. Anticoagulant drugs represent the mainstay of treatment and include parenteral drugs such as unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin, and oral drugs such as the vitamin K antagonists and the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). DOACs are currently recommended as the first line of treatment for proximal DVT of the lower limbs, with no preference for one DOAC over another. Factors to consider when choosing the anticoagulant strategy include, among others, renal and liver function, underlying diseases such as cancer or the antiphospholipid syndrome, and patient preferences. Indefinite duration of anticoagulation beyond the first 3 to 6 months is recommended for patients with unprovoked DVT and patients with permanent, chronic risk factors. Two DOACs, namely apixaban and rivaroxaban, can be administered at low doses for the secondary prevention of DVT. Elastic compression stockings (ECS) have been used for decades in patients with proximal DVT with the aim of counteracting the venous hypertension generated by the vascular disorder and reducing leg edema and to prevent the post-thrombotic syndrome.

Background: Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a rare, inherited disease characterised by specific skin lesions, progressive loss of vision and early onset atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis in PXE leads to an increased rate of vascular occlusion and severe intermittent claudication. Although genetically determined, the individual course of PXE is highly variable. Up to now, there is no sufficient parameter to identify individuals at risk of rapid disease progression. This present study focused the lipid profile of patients with PXE and its possible influence on the clinical severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Patients and methods: 112 patients with PXE were retrospectively screened. Patients without a complete lipid profile consisting of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) where excluded as well as patients with already initiated lipid-lowering therapy. 52 patients met the inclusion criteria. An age-adjusted ordinal regression model was applied to determine the association of each lipid fraction with the severity of PAD assessed as Fontaine classification. Results: The lipid profile of patients with PXE was unremarkable (TGC: 135.8±105.8 mg/dl; TC: 172.5±44.4 mg/dl; HDL: 63.0±18.2 mg/dl; Lp[a]: 64.7±93.5 nmol/l). Ordinal regression showed a significant association of Lp(a) with the severity of PAD with an odds ratio of 1.01 (1.00-1.02; p = 0.004), whereas the other fractions of the lipid profile had no significant influence. Conclusions: This study provides the largest evaluation of blood lipids up to now and the first characterization of Lp(a) levels in patients with PXE. We were able to provide first evidence of a correlation between elevated levels of Lp(a) and the severity of PAD. The present results suggest that determination of Lp(a) in early stages of PXE could help to identify patients at risk of rapid disease progression and with the need of intensified walking exercise training.