Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 23, Issue 6, 2017

Background: During recent years, treatment with statins has been suggested to induce several effect on bone status and vitamin D metabolism, interpreted as statins pleiotropic effects. Actually, the available data are not conclusive and the characteristics of this association remains unclear. Aim: The purpose of this meta-analysis was therefore to investigate the possible effect of statins therapy on vitamin D serum levels base Read More

Sibutramine is an anti-obesity medication whose effects on weight loss have been widely explored. Moreover, limited number of studies also evidenced its correlates on adipokines and proinflammatory markers; however, their results have not been conclusive. Hence, a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence was conducted in order to calculate the effect size of sibutramine therapy on C-reactive protein Read More

Transient left ventricular dysfunction in patients under emotional stress, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, has been recognized as a distinct clinical entity. Recent studies have supported the concept notion that the cardiovascular system is regulated by cortical modulation. A network consisting of the insular cortex (Ic), anterior cingulate gyrus, and amygdala plays a crucial role in the regulation of the central a Read More

The latest statistics from the 2016 heart disease and stroke statistics update shows that cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death, currently accounting for more than 17.3 million deaths per year. Type II diabetes is also on the rise with out-of-control numbers. To address these pandemics, we need to treat patients using an individualized patient care approach, but simultaneously gather data to support the preci Read More

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are implicated in the pathology of several metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. PPAR agonists exert multiple lipid modifying actions which are beneficial to the prevention of atherosclerosis. Such benefits in lipid lowering actions include improvements in atherogenic dyslipidemia that seems to be particularly expressed in individuals at higher cardi Read More

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global deaths. The current paradigm in medicine seeks novel approaches for the treatment of progressive or end-stage diseases. The organ transplantation option is limited in availability, and unfortunately, a significant number of patients are lost while waiting for donor organs. Animal studies have shown that upon myocardial infarction, it is possible to stop adverse remodeling Read More

In this mini-review, the role of macrophage phenotypes in atherogenesis is considered. Recent studies on distribution of M1 and M2 macrophages in different types of atherosclerotic lesions indicate that macrophages exhibit a high degree of plasticity of phenotype in response to various conditions in microenvironment. The effect of the accumulation of cholesterol, a key event in atherogenesis, on the macrophage phenot Read More

Curcumin is apolyphenolic cominflammatory effects of curcumin. Moreover, curcumin can be considered as potential therapy against IL-6 involvepound found in the dietary spice turmeric. Anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric have been known for centuries and extensive studies over the last two to three decades revealed that curcumin is a key component in the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric. Chronic inflamma Read More

Generally, atherosclerosis first occurs by the way of accumulation of intracellular and extracellular lipids in the arterial intima. Foam cells, overloaded by lipids, are the essential harbinger of the coronary artery disease. It should be noted that lipids that are usually composed of bulk of the intracellular lipids found in human arterial cells originate from low-density lipoprotein (LDL) circulating in human blood. Nonetheless, Read More

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are heterogeneous group of molecules formed from nonenzymatic reaction of reducing sugars with amino group of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acid. Interaction of AGEs with its cell-bound receptor (RAGE) results in generation of oxygen radicals, nuclear factor kappa-β, proinflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules, and is involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseas Read More

Dronedarone was found to have divergent safety profiles in randomized controlled trials (RCT) in term of cardiac death and overall mortality. We decided to evaluate all available evidence on the cardiovascular safety of this drug. A systematic search was made of the MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 2003 through April 2016 for RCT comparing dronedarone to placebo/active c Read More

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a group of drugs which are used for a wide variety of diseases including pain and inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, and other comorbid complications. However, this group of drugs have undesirable effects such as peptic ulcer, bleeding and renal failure. Some of these side effects are associated with or caused by ge Read More

The incidence of cardiovascular disorders is increasing worldwide. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. High blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. Other medical conditions such as diabetes, overweight, obesity and lifestyle can put people at a higher risk for coronary heart disease. The preventive measures based o Read More