ABSTRACT
Purpose@#The aim of this study was to assess carotid stiffening in a pre-hypertensive (PHT) population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). @*Methods@#This study retrospectively enrolled 626 individuals who underwent clinical interviews, serum tests, and assessments of the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity-beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and pulse wave velocity-end of systole (PWV-ES) between January 2017 and December 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their blood pressure (BP)—normal BP (NBP): SBP 0.05). However, the NBP group had a notably lower PWV-ES than the PHT (P0.05). @*Conclusion@#Carotid morphological and biomechanical properties in the PHT group differed from those in the NBP group. ufPWV could be used for an early evaluation of carotid stiffening linked to pre-hypertension.
ABSTRACT
Purpose@#The present study investigated the association between Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE)-estimated cardiovascular risk and carotid stiffening in a middle-aged population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). @*Methods@#This study enrolled 683 participants without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus who underwent ufPWV measurements. Clinical interviews, physical examinations, laboratory findings, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV) at the beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and PWV at the end of systole (PWV-ES) were assessed. Each participant underwent an assessment of SCORE risk based on major cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), including age, sex, smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and total cholesterol (TC). Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and ordinal logistic regression were used. Overall CVRFs were adjusted to assess ORs. @*Results@#cIMT and carotid stiffening in PWV-BS and PWV-ES were significantly different between sex subgroups (all P0.05). @*Conclusion@#Carotid stiffening quantified by ufPWV is linked to SCORE categories, and elevated PWV-ES may aid in cardiovascular risk stratification.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of hepatic microcirculatory disturbance induced by intestinal endotoxemia in liver injury. Methods The model of rats with intestinal endotoxemia induced by thioacetamide(TAA) was established. 25 Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups as normal control group (N), Heparin control group(H), TAA treated group(T), and TAA + heparin treated group(T +H). The changes of plasma biochemistry and hepatic histopathology were measured. Results The plasma endotoxin level, alanine transaminase (ALT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in TAA treated rats were markedly higher than that in the control ones (P < 0.05), while plasma endotoxin level was lower ( P > 0.05) and ALT as well as MDA were decreased significantly ( P < 0.05) in TAA + heparin group than in TAA group. Conclusion Intestinal endotoxemia could induce disturbance of hepatic microcirculation, which results in ischemia and hypoxia of liver cell. Heparin could not only correct disturbance of hepatic microcirculation induced by intestinal endotoxemia, but also reduce liver injury induced by ischemia and hypoxia.