title: Task force on: 'Early markers of atherosclerosis: influence of age and sex'.
abstract: Atherosclerosis and its complications are the most important causes of death all over the world, especially in Western countries. Diet habits, modern stress life, smoking, sedentary way of life and an involvement of genetic pattern of individuals lead to a sure degeneration of quality of life increasing the risk of atherosclerosis development. For this reason, the main purpose of actual medicine is to identify all the markers that could allow the physicians to evaluate the first moments of the development of this dangerous pathological process. The aim is to reduce the speed of its evolution, trying to delay indefinitely the risk coming from the morphological alterations of the vessels. 'Endothelium function' could allow physicians to detect the first moment of the natural history of atherosclerosis process. Its impairment is the first step in the degeneration of vascular structures. Many methods [flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD); antero-posterior abdominal aorta diameter (APAO); intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT); arterial stiffness; and so on] try to evaluate its function, but many limitations come from general population characteristics. A standardization of the methods should take into account individuals' peculiarities. Two elements, not modifiable, should be taken into account for vascular evaluation: age and sex. The aim of this review is to outline the linkage among age, sex and instrumental evaluation of patients considered for a noninvasive assessment of their cardiovascular risk profile.
authors: aCardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Bari, Italy bCardiology Department, Tzanio State Hospital, Piraeus, Greece cCardio-Thoracic and Vascular Department dInternal Medicine Department, University of Pisa, Pisa eCardiovascular Diseases Section, University of Brescia, Brescia fASL BR/1, Brindisi gDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia hCardiovascular Diseases Section, University of Palermo, Palermo iCardiovascular Diseases Section, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
authors: Marco Matteo
authors: MM
authors: Ciccone
authors: Elene
authors: E
authors: Bilianou
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Balbarini
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Gesualdo
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Ghiadoni
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Metra
authors: Pasquale
authors: P
authors: Palmiero
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Pedrinelli
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Salvetti
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Scicchitano
authors: Annapaola
authors: A
authors: Zito
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Novo
authors: Anna Vittoria
authors: AV
authors: Mattioli
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D014664:Vasodilation