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BACKGROUND: Monotherapy with anticoagulation has been considered as first-line therapy in patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT). The aim of this study was to evaluate outcome, prognostic factors, and failure rate of anticoagulation as monotherapy, and to identify when bowel resection was needed.METHODS: Retrospective study of consecutive patients with MVT diagnosed between 2000 and 2015.RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of MVT was 1.3/100,000 person-years. Among 120 patients, seven died due to autopsy-verified MVT without bowel resection and 15 underwent immediate bowel resection without prior anticoagulation therapy. The remaining 98 patients received anticoagulation monotherapy, whereof 83 (85%) were treated successfully. Fifteen patients failed on anticoagulation monotherapy, of whom seven underwent bowel resection and eight endovascular therapy. Endovascular therapy was followed by bowel resection in three patients. Two late bowel resections were performed due to intestinal stricture. The 30-day mortality rate was 19.0% in the former (2000-2007) and 3.2% in the latter (2008-2015) part of the study period (p = 0.006). Age ≥75 years (OR 12.4, 95% CI [2.5-60.3]), management during the former as opposed to the latter time period (OR 8.4, 95% CI [1.3-54.7]), and renal insufficiency at admission (OR 8.0, 95% CI [1.2-51.6]) were independently associated with increased mortality in multivariable analysis.CONCLUSIONS: Short-term prognosis in patients with MVT has improved. Contemporary data show that monotherapy with anticoagulation is an effective first choice in MVT patients.

Background Intermittent claudication (IC) is commonly caused by lesions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), yet invasive treatment is still controversial and longer term patient-reported outcomes are lacking. This prospective randomized trial assessed the 24-month impact of primary stenting with nitinol self-expanding stents compared to best medical treatment (BMT) alone in patients with stable IC due to SFA disease on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods One hundred patients with stable IC due to SFA disease treated with BMT were randomized to either stent (n = 48) or control (n = 52) group. HRQoL assessed by Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQoL 5-dimensions (EQ5D) 24 months after treatment were primary outcome measures. Walking Impairment Questionnaire, ankle–brachial index (ABI), and walking distance were secondary outcomes. Results Significantly better SF-36 Physical Component Summary (P = 0.024) and physical domain scores such as Physical Function (P = 0.012), Bodily Pain (P = 0.002), General Health (P = 0.037), and EQ5D (P = 0.010) were reported in intergroup comparison between the stent and the control group. Both ABI (from 0.58 ± 0.11 to 0.85 ± 0.18; P P = 0.036 in the control group) and walking distance (from 170 ± 90 m to 616 ± 375 m; P P = 0.006 in the control group) improved significantly in intragroup comparisons. Conclusions In patients with IC caused by lesions in the SFA, primary stenting compared to BMT alone was associated with significant improvements in HRQoL, ABI, and walking distance durable up to 24 months of follow-up. Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT01230229

The presence of diabetes mellitus is rarely addressed in acute lower limb ischaemia (ALLI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of local intra-arterial thrombolysis for ALLI in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Outcome of all thrombolytic events performed in an endovascular first-strategy centre during a 13-year period between 2001 and 2013 in patients with ALLI were followed to January 2017. A propensity score adjusted analysis was performed to evaluate results in patients with (n = 83) versus without (n = 316) DM. Patients with DM were younger (p = 0.001), more often women (p = 0.014), more often had renal insufficiency (p = 0.041), foot ulcers (p

To evaluate the use of activated protein C–protein C inhibitor (APC-PCI) complex levels for detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in patients with peripheral atherosclerotic disease (PAD). APC-PCI levels and aortic diameter evaluated in 511 PAD patients without previously known AAA followed-up concerning survival for 4.8(0.5) years. AAA was found in 13 % of patients. Aortic diameter correlated (r = 0.138; p = 0.002) with APC-PCI levels which were higher (0.40[0.45] vs. 0.30[0.49] μg/l; p = 0.004) in patients with AAA. This difference persisted in multivariate analysis (p = 0.029). A threshold value of APC-PCI ≥0.15 μg/L showed a specificity of 11 %, a sensitivity of 97 % and a negative predictive value of 96 % for an AAA diagnosis. APC-PCI levels were higher in patients with AAA, and showed high sensitivity but low specificity for the diagnosis and can therefore not be considered as a screening tool in PAD patients. An AAA prevalence of 13 % in patients with PAD indicates a need for AAA screening within this population.

To prospectively evaluate the potential influence of resistance to activated protein C (APC-resistance) on the initial inflammatory response, amputation rate and survival during 10 years of follow-up in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Two hundred and fifty-six consecutive CLI patients were analyzed for APC-ratio, the Factor V Leiden mutation and inflammatory mediators and then prospectively followed for 10 years. Inflammatory mediators, amputation rate, morbidity and mortality were compared between patients with and without APC resistance. Of the 256 CLI patients, 35 (14 %) were heterozygotes and 2 (1 %) homozygotes for the Factor V gene mutation, whereas 219 (86 %) patients were non-APC resistant. No significant differences were found between APC resistant and non-APC resistant patients regarding inflammatory mediators. Non-APC resistant patients more often had infrainguinal atherosclerosis (172 [79 %] vs 22 [59 %]; p = 0.017). Amputation rate at 1 year did not differ. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between groups regarding 1-, 3-, 5-, or 10-year survival. APC resistance in patients with CLI was not related to inflammatory activity, and had no impact on limb salvage or rate of amputation or long-term mortality. APC-resistant CLI-patients less frequently had infrainguinal arteriosclerosis, however.

Contains fulltext : 70663.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Recently, two common sequence variants on 9p21, tagged by rs10757278-G and rs10811661-T, were reported to be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), respectively. We proceeded to further investigate the contributions of these variants to arterial diseases and T2D. Here we report that rs10757278-G is associated with, in addition to CAD, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA; odds ratio (OR) = 1.31, P = 1.2 x 10(-12)) and intracranial aneurysm (OR = 1.29, P = 2.5 x 10(-6)), but not with T2D. This variant is the first to be described that affects the risk of AAA and intracranial aneurysm in many populations. The association of rs10811661-T to T2D replicates in our samples, but the variant does not associate with any of the five arterial diseases examined. These findings extend our insight into the role of the sequence variant tagged by rs10757278-G and show that it is not confined to atherosclerotic diseases.

Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic function, can predict survival outcomes. Cardiovascular disease is a known complication of diabetes, and we aimed to determine if autonomic dysfunction was associated with carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques in type 2 diabetic patients. We assessed frequency domain HRV from power spectral analysis of 24 h Holter ECG recordings, expiration/inspiration (E/I) ratio during deep breathing, acceleration index (AI) of R–R interval in response to head-up tilt, and the degree of carotid artery atherosclerosis in 61 type-2 diabetic patients (39 males, 45–69 years). Studies were carried out 5–6 years after diagnosis (baseline) and repeated 8 years after diagnosis (follow-up). At baseline, patients diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, with abnormal E/I ratio and abnormal AI measurements, had decreased low frequency (LF) HRV. Baseline E/I ratio correlated with day (r = 0.34; P

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) mainly affects renal arteries. Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) and surgery are effective treatments, but long-time follow-up is lacking. Retrospective follow-up for 7.0+/-4.7 years of 69 consecutive patients (age 44+/-13 years) treated for hypertension due to FMD, 59 patients underwent PTRA and eight patients surgery. In two patients no PTRA was performed. Technical success was achieved in 56 (95%) patients undergoing PTRA and all eight undergoing surgery. After successful PTRA, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) had decreased at discharge (from 174+/-33/100+/-13 to 138+/-19/80+/-15 mmHg; P

Percutaneous endovascular techniques were used to treat an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) associated with pancreatic transplantation. A pancreatic transplant superior mesenteric artery-to-superior mesenteric-vein AVF was successfully embolized while flow to the pancreas transplant was preserved. The embolization was aided by the use of Guglielmi detachable coils and a detachable balloon. No complications were encountered. At 23 months follow-up, the patient is doing well with no recurrence.

To clarify the utility of islet cell antibodies (ICA) to correctly classify and predict insulin treatment in newly diagnosed diabetic subjects, ICA, body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and fasting plasma C-peptide values were evaluated at and 3 years after diagnosis in 233 new, consecutively diagnosed, adult diabetic patients classified as obese or nonobese (National Diabetes Data Group, NDDG criteria). Among the 233 patients, 31 were nonobese ICA-positive (mean age at diagnosis 43±3 years), 55 nonobese ICA-negative (mean age at diagnosis 58±2 years), 7 obese ICA-positive (mean age at diagnosis 57±5 years), and 139 obese ICA-negative (mean age at diagnosis 58±1 years). Fasting C-peptide decreased (P