Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Intracranial Carotid Arteriosclerosis Mediates The Association Between Blood Pressure And Cerebral Small Vessel Disease, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Meike W. Vernooij, M. Arfan Ikram, Zhen-Yu Zhang, Daniel Bos

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background:

Intracranial arteriosclerosis could explain the association between blood pressure (BP) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Therefore, we tested whether intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC) mediates the association between BP and CSVD and determined pathophysiological mechanisms based on ICAC subtypes.

Methods:

One thousand four hundred fifty-eight stroke-free participants from the Rotterdam Study (mean age, 68 years; 52% women) underwent nonenhanced computed tomography scans to quantify ICAC volume (mm3) between 2003 and 2015. ICAC was categorized into intimal and internal elastic lamina calcifications. CSVD included white matter hyperintensities volume, the presence of lacunes, and cerebral microbleeds visualized on magnetic resonance …

Urinary Matrix Gla Protein Is Associated With Mortality Risk In Flemish Population: A Prospective Study, Dongmei Wei, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Thomas Vanassche, Lucas Van Aelst, Stefan Janssens, Peter Verhamme, Zhen-Yu Zhang

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Vascular calcification is strongly related to the risk of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) diseases. In vascular calcification, matrix Gla protein (MGP), a small vitamin K-dependent protein, is an important mineralization inhibitor. Recent studies showed that circulating MGP is associated with mortality risk. However, the longitudinal association between urinary excretion of MGP and all-cause mortality was not established.

Materials and methods: Urinary MGP was measured in 776 randomly recruited Flemish population (mean age: 51.2 years; 50.9% women) at baseline (during 2005–2010) using capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. Plasma inactive MGP [desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP)] levels were quantified in 646 individuals …

Urinary Proteomic Profile Of Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Mortality And Cardiovascular Outcomes, Dongmei Wei, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Lutgarde Thijs, Xander Temmerman, Thomas Vanassche, Lucas Van Aelst, Stefan Janssens, Jan A. Staessen, Peter Verhamme, Zhen-Yu Zhang

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

The underlying mechanisms of arterial stiffness remain not fully understood. This study aimed to identify a urinary proteomic profile to illuminate its pathogenesis and to determine the prognostic value of the profile for adverse outcomes.

Methods and Results

We measured aortic stiffness using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and analyzed urinary proteome using capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry in 669 randomly recruited Flemish patients (mean age, 50.2 years; 51.1% women). We developed a PWV‐derived urinary proteomic score (PWV‐UP) by modeling PWV with proteomics data at baseline through orthogonal projections to latent structures. PWV‐UP that consisted of 2336 peptides explained …

Open-Angle Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Is Related To Dips Rather Than Increases In The Mean Arterial Pressure Over 24-H, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Jan V. Eijgen, Gladys E. Maestre, Lama A. Al-Aswad, Lutgarde Thijs, Luis J. Mena, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Michele Petitto, Carlos A. Chavez, Miguel Brito

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

Mean arterial pressure (MAP) drives ocular perfusion. Excessive 24-h MAP variability relates to glaucoma, however, whether this is due to dips or increases in the blood pressure (BP) is undocumented. We investigated the association of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in relation to the five largest MAP dips/increases over 24-h, henceforth called dips/blips.

Methods

In the Maracaibo Aging Study (MAS), 93 participants aged ≥40y (women, 87.1%; mean age, 61.9y) underwent baseline ophthalmological and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring assessments. OAG was the presence of optic nerve damage and visual field defects. Statistical methods included logistic regression and the generalized R2 statistic. …