title: Assessment of management of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with thoracic aortic disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular risk profiles and adiposity assessment data in patients with thoracic aortic disease (TAD) are sparse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Despite the fact that TAD patients are considered as a high-risk population, they will not be managed as aggressively as they should in terms of their cardiovascular risk profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometric, blood pressure (BP) data, and blood samples were collected prospectively from patients followed at our TAD dedicated clinic. The same measures have been taken in a control group initiating a cardiac rehabilitation program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 286 patients with TAD and 116 controls were recruited. BMI was higher among the controls than the patients with TAD (30.0±6.1 vs. 27.2±4.9 kg/m(2), respectively; P<0.001). We found no statistical difference between the groups for waist circumference (TAD: 93.1±15.2 and 103.6±14.5 cm, control: 95.0±13.4 and 106.3±14.8 cm, respectively, for women and men; P=0.06). In terms of lipid profile, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 2.44±0.88 in patients with TAD and 2.09±0.82 mmol/l in the controls (P<0.001). A higher percentage of patients with TAD had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values that were beyond the target (63.3% in TAD vs. 46.1% in control; P<0.01). The values of apolipoprotein-B were similar between groups (P=0.41). BP was higher in patients with TAD (135±19/76±11 mmHg) versus the controls (129±17/71±11 mmHg; P<0.01). On the basis of ambulatory BP monitoring, 49.3% of patients with TAD were not well controlled for daytime and/or night-time BP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiovascular risk factors, particularly BP, are not well controlled in patients with TAD followed in a dedicated clinic when compared with another high-risk control group in a cardiac rehabilitation program.
authors.affiliation: Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bastien
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dagenais
authors.forename: Éric
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vadeboncoeur
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Royer
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gaudet-Savard
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poirier
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids