Maceira González, Alicia María

There is debate on the role of estrogens in modulating the risk for atherosclerosis in women. Our purpose was to investigate whether the size of the estrogenic impact was independently associated with variation of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy late postmenopausal women. The levels of circulating estrogens have been used in previous studies but the influence of SNPs of the estrogen receptors (ER) a and b have not been investigated. We performed a crossed-sectional study of 91 women in a university hospital. We used a double approach in which, in addition to the measurement of estradiol levels by ultrasensitive methods, genetic variants (SNPs) associated with differing expression of the ER a and b genes were assessed. Multivariable analysis was used to examine the association of candidate factors with the value of IMT and plaque detection at both the carotid wall and the sinus. A genotype combination translating reduced gene expression of the ERb was directly associated with IMT at both the carotid wall (P=.001) and the sinus (P=.002). Other predictors of IMT were the levels of glucose, positively associated with IMT at both the carotid wall (P<.001) and the sinus (P=.001), age positively associated with IMT at the sinus (P=.003), and levels of vitamin D, positively associated with IMT at the carotid wall (P=.04). Poorer estrogenic impact, as concordant with a SNP variant imposing reduced expression of the ERb, was directly associated with IMT at both the carotid wall and the sinus. Glucose level, vitamin D only for the carotid wall, and age only for the sinus, also emerged as independent factors in the IMT variance.

Background: Cocaine is an addictive, sympathomimetic drug with potentially lethal effects. We have previously shown with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) the presence of cardiovascular involvement in a significant percentage of consecutive asymptomatic cocaine addicts. CMR with feature-tracking analysis (CMR-FT) allows for the quantification of myocardial deformation which may detect preclinical involvement. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effects of cocaine on the left ventricular myocardium in a group of asymptomatic cocaine users with CMR-FT. Methods: In a cohort of asymptomatic cocaine addicts (CA) who had been submitted to CMR at 3 T, we used CMR-FT to measure strain, strain rate and dyssynchrony index in CA with mildly decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (CA-LVEFd) and in CA with preserved ejection fraction (CA-LVEFp). We also measured these parameters in 30 age-matched healthy subjects. Results: There were no differences according to age. Significant differences were seen in global longitudinal, radial and circumferential strain, in global longitudinal and radial strain rate and in radial and circumferential dyssynchrony index among the groups, with the lowest values in CA-LVEFd and intermediate values in CA-LVEFp. Longitudinal, radial and circumferential strain values were significantly lower in CA-LVEFp with respect to controls. Conclusions: CA-LVEFp show decreased systolic strain and strain rate values, with intermediate values between healthy controls and CA-LVEFd. Signs suggestive of dyssynchrony were also detected. In CA, CMR-FT based strain analysis can detect early subclinical myocardial involvement.