Search Results (4)

Background and Aim. To study the relationships of cardiovascular risk factors with cancer and cardiovascular mortality in a cohort of middle-aged men followed-up for 61 years. Materials and Methods. A rural cohort of 1611 cancer- and cardiovascular disease-free men aged 40–59 years was examined in 1960 within the Italian Section of the Seven Countries Study, and 28 risk factors measured at baseline were used to predict cancer (n = 459) and cardiovascular deaths (n = 678) that occurred during 61 years of follow-up until the extinction of the cohort with Cox proportional hazard models. Results. A model with 28 risk factors and cancer deaths as the end-point produced eight statistically significant coefficients for age, smoking habits, mother early death, corneal arcus, xanthelasma and diabetes directly related to events, and arm circumference and healthy diet inversely related. In the corresponding models for major cardiovascular diseases and their subgroups, only the coefficients of age and smoking habits were significant among those found for cancer deaths, to which healthy diet can be added if considering coronary heart disease alone. Following a competing risks analysis by the Fine–Gray method, risk factors significantly common to both conditions were only age, smoking, and xanthelasma. Conclusions. A sizeable number of traditional cardiovascular risk factors were not predictors of cancer death in a middle-aged male cohort followed-up until extinction. Full article

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder primarily transmitted in an autosomal-dominant manner. We distinguish two main forms of FH, which differ in the severity of the disease, namely homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). The characteristic feature of this disease is a high concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood. However, the level may significantly vary between the two mentioned types of FH, and it is decidedly higher in HoFH. A chronically elevated concentration of LDL-C in the plasma leads to the occurrence of certain abnormalities, such as xanthomas in the tendons and skin, as well as corneal arcus. Nevertheless, a significantly more severe phenomenon is leading to the premature onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its clinical implications, such as cardiac events, stroke or vascular dementia, even at a relatively young age. Due to the danger posed by this medical condition, we have investigated how both non-pharmacological and selected pharmacological treatment impact the course of FH, thereby reducing or postponing the risk of clinical manifestations of CVD. The primary objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of FH, the effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy in FH and to explain the anatomopathological correlation between FH and premature CVD development, with its complications. Full article

Objectives: To assess the overall association of lifestyle behaviors with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and mortality. Material and Methods: In the Italian Rural Areas of the Seven Countries Study, involving 1712 middle-aged men (40–59 years) enrolled in 1960, smoking habits, physical activity, dietary habits, marital status, and socioeconomic status (SES) were studied as possible determinants of 15 measurable risk factors (body mass index, tricipital and subscapular skinfold, arm circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, double product (systolic blood pressure × heart rate), vital capacity, forced expiratory volume, serum cholesterol, urine protein, urine glucose, corneal arcus and xanthelasma) using canonical correlation (CC). Results: The first CC had a value of 0.54 (R² 0.29, p < 0.0001). The role of marital status was marginal; that of a high SES was contrary to expectations. The strongest behaviors based on standardized CC coefficients were dietary habits and physical activity. The risk factors mostly associated with overall lifestyle behaviors were some anthropometric and cardiovascular measurements. The mean levels of risk factors distributed in tertile classes of the CC variate score of lifestyle behaviors were largely associated in a coherent and graded way with the expected relationship of behaviors versus risk factors. In a large series of Cox models, the CC variate scores were significantly associated with 50-year coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality and much less with stroke and other heart diseases of uncertain etiology. Conclusions: Lifestyle behaviors correlate well with cardiovascular risk factors associated with CHD mortality, and CC is a useful method of analysis to detect long-term impacting characteristics. Full article

Lipid keratopathy (LK) is a rare ophthalmological condition characterized by a progressive reduction in visual acuity caused by corneal opacification due to central lipid accumulation. LK is characterized by lipid deposits, cholesterol clefts, and neovascularization (NV) leading to disruption in corneal optical quality. LK classification includes a primary and secondary form which depend on pre-existing corneal or systemic disorders and the evidence of NV. Secondary LK is typically associated with a prior occurrence of herpetic infection, such as herpes zoster keratitis. Patients with LK usually present with progressive vision loss and dense cream-colored corneal opacification. Treatment modalities include conservative and surgical approaches focused on corneal NV elimination. When evaluating corneal lipidosis, it is crucial to consider a range of differential diagnoses, including corneal arcus, Schnyder corneal dystrophy, and other corneal deposit conditions. We report a case of a 62-year-old male with herpes zoster keratitis complicated with LK. He presented with painless progressive vision loss and corneal scarring, which raised suspicion about LK diagnosis. This paper emphasizes the importance of correlating clinical and histological findings for accurate LK diagnosis. Full article