Clinical characterization and detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with extreme hyperalphalipoproteinemia. / Caracterización clínica y detección de arteriosclerosis subclínica en sujetos con hiperalfalipoproteinemia extrema.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The association between HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and death from cardiovascular disease follows a U-shaped pattern, increasing at the extremes. The objective of the study was to characterize a sample of subjects with extreme hyperalphalipoproteinemia (HAE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 53 cases with HAE were recruited, 24 women (HDL-C>135mg/ dL) and 29 men (HDL-C>116mg/ dL). A detailed medical history was taken and questionnaires on adherence to the Mediterranean diet and physical activity were collected. Carotid ultrasounds were performed to detect the presence of suclinical atherosclerosis. RESULTS: The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) was dyslipidemia (64%) with no significant differences between men and women, unlike hypertension (21% in women, versus 55% in men, p=0.01) and others CVRF, for example, diabetes. 7% of the series had previous cardiovascular disease, women had higher LDL cholesterol (p=0.002) and HDL-C than men (without significant differences). Plaque was detected in 53% of cases, being more prevalent in men. Patients with plaque were older, drank more alcohol and smoked more (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Men had a higher prevalence of CVRF than women, except for dyslipidemia. Subclinical atherosclerosis occurred in more than half of the series. Age, alcohol consumption and smoking were independently associated with the presence of plaque, however, our data do not show a significant influence of HDL-C levels.

SEA 2024 Standards for Global Control of Vascular Risk. / Estándares de la Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis 2024 para el control global del riesgo vascular.

One of the objectives of the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis is to contribute to the knowledge, prevention and treatment of vascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Spain and entail a high degree of disability and health expenditure. Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease and its prevention requires a global approach that takes into account the associated risk factors. This document summarises the current evidence and includes recommendations for patients with established vascular disease or at high vascular risk: it reviews the symptoms and signs to evaluate, the laboratory and imaging procedures to request routinely or in special situations, and includes the estimation of vascular risk, diagnostic criteria for entities that are vascular risk factors, and general and specific recommendations for their treatment. Finally, it presents aspects that are not usually referenced in the literature, such as the organisation of a vascular risk consultation.

Doctors' perception of red wine consumption and cardiovascular health. / Percepción de los médicos frente al consumo de vino tinto y la salud cardiovascular.

INTRODUCTION: The consumption of red wine has historically been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk, with sometimes controversial scientific evidence. METHOD: A survey was carried out via whatsapp dated 09/01/22 to a cohort of doctors from the province of Malaga, asking about possible healthy red wine consumption habits, differentiating: never, 3-4 glasses per week, 5 -6 weekly drinks and one daily drink. RESULTS: A total of 184 physicians answered, with a mean age of 35 years ± 11.1, of which 84 (45.6%) were women, distributed in different specialties, the majority being internal medicine with 52 (28.2%). The most frequently chosen option was D (59.2%), followed by A (21.2%), C (14.7%) and B (5%). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the doctors surveyed recommended zero consumption, and only 20% indicated that a daily drink could be healthy in non-drinkers.

Role of lipoprotein lipase activity measurement in the diagnosis of familial chylomicronemia syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Activity assays for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) are not standardised for use in clinical settings. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to define and validate a cut-off points based on a ROC curve for the diagnosis of patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). We also evaluated the role of LPL activity in a comprehensive FCS diagnostic workflow. METHODS: A derivation cohort (including an FCS group (n = 9), a multifactorial chylomicronemia syndrome (MCS) group (n = 11)), and an external validation cohort (including an FCS group (n = 5), a MCS group (n = 23) and a normo-triglyceridemic (NTG) group (n = 14)), were studied. FCS patients were previously diagnosed by the presence of biallelic pathogenic genetic variants in the LPL and GPIHBP1 genes. LPL activity was also measured. Clinical and anthropometric data were recorded, and serum lipids and lipoproteins were measured. Sensitivity, specificity and cut-offs for LPL activity were obtained from a ROC curve and externally validated. RESULTS: All post-heparin plasma LPL activity in the FCS patients were below 25.1 mU/mL, that was cut-off with best performance. There was no overlap in the LPL activity distributions between the FCS and MCS groups, conversely to the FCS and NTG groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that, in addition to genetic testing, LPL activity in subjects with severe hypertriglyceridemia is a reliable criterium in the diagnosis of FCS when using a cut-off of 25.1 mU/mL (25% of the mean LPL activity in the validation MCS group). We do not recommend the NTG patient based cut-off values due to low sensitivity.

Subclinical Arteriosclerosis is Associated With Common Vascular Risk Factors in Long-Term Survivors of Testicular Cancer.

Cardiovascular disease risk is increased in survivors of testicular cancer because of exposure to treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), as well as modification in lifestyle. Our aim was to assess the presence of subclinical arteriosclerosis in survivors of testicular cancer in comparison with a control group. This was a cross-sectional, observational, case-control study including 50 survivors of Germ Cell Tumor (GCT) (14 years of follow-up) and 53 age-matched controls with no cancer. We registered clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, physical and Mediterranean questionnaires, intima-media thickness and plaque at carotid and femoral arteries by ultrasound, calcium score at the abdominal aorta, and liver steatosis by computed tomography, and applied analytical tests to quantify metabolic risk factors and inflammation markers. Patients showed a trend toward greater intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques than controls, as well as a higher calcium score in the abdominal aorta. Remarkably, patients had higher waist circumference, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and liver steatosis, but lower physical activity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than controls (all p < 0.05). In multivariate analyses, only common vascular risk factors were associated with subclinical arteriosclerosis. As a conclusion, in our study, a higher rate of subclinical arteriosclerosis in testicular cancer survivors was associated with classical metabolic risk factors and lifestyle, but not with exposure to chemotherapy.