Current Vascular Pharmacology - Volume 10, Issue 6, 2012

Carotid stenosis is frequent in the general population, especially in elderly people and is associated with a high risk of stroke and vascular events. In patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis the overall annual risk of ipsilateral stroke has dramatically decreased over the past decades, due to improvement in medical management. Asymptomatic carotid stenosis is probably a better indicator of generalized atherosclerotic disea Read More

High blood pressure (BP) along with smoking habit and lipid disorders are the most important and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, the prevalence of high BP has grown progressively over time with a progressive increase not only in the absolute number of patients but in the proportion of those showing BP values out of control. The increasing world-wide prevalence of hypertension and the r Read More

The lecture covered the role of lipids in the pathogenesis and treatment of non-cardiac vascular disease. The following conditions were considered: abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), carotid artery disease and atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS).

In this issue of Curr Vasc Pharmacol, Pfeiffer et al. [1] and Glorioso et al. [2] report the efficacy and tolerability of aliskiren/amlodipine single-pill combinations (SPCs) in patients with inadequate blood pressure (BP) response to amlodipine or aliskiren monotherapy, respectively.

Many patients with hypertension will require multiple antihypertensive drugs to achieve blood pressure (BP) control. This double-blind study evaluated the efficacy and safety of aliskiren/amlodipine single-pill combinations (SPCs) in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension who were non-responsive to aliskiren monotherapy. After a 4-week run-in with aliskiren 300 mg, patients with mean sitting diastolic BP (msDBP) ≥ Read More

Intravascular hemolysis is a major component of anemia in sickle cell disease (SCD). Plasma extracellular hemoglobin (ECHb) liberated by intravascular hemolysis has deleterious effects on the vasculature. ECHb scavenges nitric oxide (NO) and promotes the pathogenesis of several clinical events including pulmonary hypertension, priapism and non-hemorrhagic strokes. ECHb reduces the bioavailability of NO which d Read More

Resting endothelial cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels have anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory actions, critical for maintaining normal vascular homeostasis. Upon localized or systemic stimulation, endothelial cells are activated to secrete bioactive molecules; among them is von Willebrand factor (VWF). Freshly secreted VWF is enriched in ultra-large (UL) forms that are anchored to endothelial cells to form long st Read More

Portal hypertension is a hemodynamic abnormality that involves a high risk of disability as well as a reduced life expectancy in patients with cirrhosis. Progress in the knowledge of pathophysiology of portal hypertension has opened a new perspective for different pharmacological approaches. In this context, the pleiotropic actions of statins on endothelial cell function have emerged as new options to reduce portal Read More

Most patients with hypertension will require treatment with at least two antihypertensive agents to achieve blood pressure (BP) control. This double-blind study evaluated the efficacy and safety of aliskiren/amlodipine single-pill combination (SPC) therapy in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension who are inadequately responsive to amlodipine monotherapy. Patients with mean sitting diastolic BP (msDBP) ≥ 90 and < Read More

Energy homeostasis in mammalians is a teleological process regulated by the interplay between caloric intake and energy expenditure. Incretins are a significant component of the complex homeostatic network regulating the metabolic state in humans. This narrative review will focus on the basic concepts regarding incretins physiology and their regulatory feedback mechanisms affecting energy homeostasis. In this context, Read More