Endothelial progenitor cells in cardiovascular diseases

Endothelial dysfunction has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Adult endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) are derived from hematopoietic stem cells and are capable of forming new blood vessels through a process of vas-culogenesis. There are studies which report correlations between circulating EPCs and cardiovascular risk fac-tors. There are also studies on how pharmacotherapies may influence levels of circulating EPCs. In this review, we discuss the potential role of endothelial progenitor cells as both diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. In addition, we look at the interaction between cardio-vascular pharmacotherapies and endothelial progenitor cells. We also discuss how EPCs can be used directly and indirectly as a therapeutic agent. Finally, we evalu-ate the challenges facing EPC research and how these may be overcome.

Serum Uric Acid is Associated with the Predicted Risk of Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease in a Community-dwelling Population without Diabetes

Objective To examine the association between serum uric acid levels and cardiovascular disease risk among individuals without diabetes.Methods We investigated the association between serum uric acid levels and the risk of prevalent cardiometabolic diseases, 10-year Framingham risk for coronary heart disease, and 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases （ASCVD） among 8,252 participants aged 〉 40 years without diabetes from Jiading district, Shanghai, China.Results Body mass index, waist circumference, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and serum lipids increased progressively across the sex-specific quartiles of uric acid （all P trend 〈 0.05）. Compared with individuals in the lowest quartile, those in the higher quartiles had a significantly higher prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia （all P trend 〈 0.05）. A fully adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals in the highest quartile had an increased risk of predicted cardiovascular disease compared with those in the lowest quartile of uric acid. The multivariate adjusted odds ratios （ORs） [95% confidence intervals （C/s）] for the highest quartiles for high Framingham risk were 3.00 （2.00-4.50） in men and 2.95 （1.08-8.43） in women. The multivariate adjusted ORs （95% C/s） for the highest quartile for high ASCVD risk were 1.93 [1.17-3.17） in men and 4.53 （2.57-7.98） in women.Conclusion Serum uric acid level is associated with an increased risk of prevalent obesity, hypertension, dystipidemia, 10-year Framingham risk for coronary heart disease, and lO-year risk for ASCVD among Chinese adults without diabetes.

Asymmetry in circulation system and cardiovascular diseases

Asymmetries in the human vascular system and cardiovascular disease are widespread.Vascular physiological asymmetry can manifest in the morphological structure and blood flow state,whereas pathological asymmetry can reflect differences in the occurrence and cure of bilateral vascular diseases.The causes associated with these asymmetrical differences may be demand-driven or due to vascular grading or asymmetries in other physiological systems.This article aims to review the asymmetry of several typical arteries,including cerebral,cervical,and limb arteries,and lists possible causes to emphasize the necessity of considering asymmetric factors in the prevention,treatment,and rehabilitation of vascular diseases.Future research on asymmetries in the vascular system may improve the risk assessment and personalized treatment of vascular diseases.