Progression of polyvascular disease--is there any rule?

The polyvascular disease (PVD) is presented by coexistence of ischemic heart disease (IHD),carotid disease (CD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). In the essence of this disease is atherosclerosis. The aim of the research was to learn what is the course of the worsening multiple arterial diseases during the two-year period considering the new cardiac, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular events. Among 150 patients with clinical manifestations of obliterate vascular disease of at least two aforementioned vascular diseases, we investigated the incidence of new coronary, carotid and peripheral vascular events during the two-year period. New coronary events were the most common in PVD patients with preexisted IHD (88 persons, 58.7%, p < 0.01), in PVD patients with preexisted CD (51 persons, 34.0%, p < 0.01) and in PVD patients with preexisted PAD (61 persons, 40.7%, p < 0.01) as well. The second most common event is the worsening of the preexisting dominating vascular disease. Thus, whatever the predominant vascular disease was, in the further two-year course of polyvascular disease, the new coronary events are the most frequent.

Is there such thing as "vaccine against aging"?

Problem could be found in the fact that very often we look for one deciding, definitive reason for the process of aging. It is a sort of search for a big discovery, like a fountain of youth or such. More and more authors are trying to explain the unknowns in the understanding of these observations about ageing, by adding the statement that there are two subgroups in the general population. This acknowledgement of two subpopulations explains why there are numerous cases that can not be explained or defined or fitted in these basic observations about caloric restrictions and the delay of reproduction. The identification of those two groups would allow us to find more realistic results in studies, and therefore a more efficient therapy of certain diseases. This hypothesis does not contradict theories of aging that we have accepted (at least not the majority of accepted theories), and this hypothesis also does not contradict the fact that there is a large interindividual variability. This hypothesis doubts, and claims there are exceptions to the starting assumption of geriatrics and gerontology's that: "parallel to the aging process the functions of all organs and organ systems lessen". In future we could use one of these screening tools to detect genetic instable population: the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, expression of hTERT, the component of the enzyme telomerase, identification of the "longevity" genes like daf-16, p53, THO, HSP70 or the level of insulin-growth factor-I. This would enable us to correct genetic instability in this population with "vaccine of youth", making the human race living 30 years longer with excellent life quality.