What a vascular surgeon should know and do about atherosclerotic risk factors.
Atherosclerosis is a systematic disease presenting with a significant overlapping of cardiovascular disorders implicating coronary heart disease and its equivalents, peripheral arterial disease, carotid arterial disease, and aneurysm disease. Evaluating patient's atherosclerotic risk profile is essential to guide primary and secondary prevention. Atherosclerotic risk factor modifications reduce, significantly, cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, particularly in high-risk patients. This article provides a reference guide for all conventional (eg, smoking, dyslipidemia, hypertension) and evolving (eg, homocysteine, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, inflammatory markers) risk factors of atherosclerosis and recommends the currently effective strategies for an overall cardiovascular risk reduction. As vascular surgeons, by definition, conduct the overall management of patients with vascular disease understanding of the development, assessment, and management of atherosclerotic risk factors should remain among their highest priorities.
Liapis
Christos D
CD
Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Attikon, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. liapis@med.uoa.gr
Avgerinos
Efthimios D
ED
Kadoglou
Nikolaos P
NP
Kakisis
John D
JD
D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002983:Clinical Competence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors