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High blood pressure, diabetes and increased carotid artery wall thickness means increased risk of stroke

November 22, 2017

During the study, 186 patients were evaluated using multidetector row CT to see if CAWT is associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and a history of smoking. Results showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between diabetes and hypertension. "There was no significant statistical correlation between the increase of carotid wall thickness, smoking and dyslipidemia," said Luca Saba, MD, lead author of the study.

"Our group demonstrated that the presence of CAWT greater than 1mm in patients with diabetes or hypertension is strongly correlated with a risk to suffer a stroke. Patients at higher risk should be monitored every 12 months," said Dr. Saba.

"The detection and evaluation of CAWT together with the study of other cardiovascular factors allows for improvement in patient follow up and risk stratification. Imaging as part of the diagnostic process and management of patients with high cardiovascular risks is important," he said.

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"Abnormal electrical activity causes the heart to contract abnormally," he says. Working with his colleagues at the University of Michigan, Dr. Zlochiver is working to repair hearts in real patients at risk prophylactically, so that electrical coupling signals in diseased hearts resemble a more organized, "tornado-free" pattern.

Dr. Zlochiver's research will no doubt alter the way cardiac arrest is diagnosed and treated. "If we get an image from an MRI or CT from the inside of the heart, we can build a mathematical model and simulate electrical activity. That way, we can identify the problem point and stop fibrillation," he says.

"We can use the knowledge of the electrical activity and the interaction between cells in order to give ideas on treatment. Physicians will have a better idea on how to treat specific patients. For example, physicians will be able to locally ablate or release drugs in cardiac areas that are especially susceptible to fibrillation."

In the future, Dr. Zlochiver hopes that doctors will be able to send in scans of their patients' hearts and the models he creates from the scans would help guide decisions on treatment.

Dr. Zlochiver, a recipient of a 2007 award from the American Heart Association for his work, is one of 23 bright new faculty recruits to Tel Aviv University.

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