Correlation of lifetime progress of atherosclerosis and morphologic markers of severity in humans: new tools for a more sensitive evaluation

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:To describe the morphological features of atherosclerosis in the aortas of autopsied patients (ranging from young adults to the elderly), thus providing new tools for a more sensitive morphological evaluation.METHOD:We collected 141 aorta samples. We assessed the macroscopic degree of atherosclerosis, thickness of the intima and media, lipid and collagen depositions in the intima, and the infiltration of mast cells into the layers of the aorta. We correlated the findings with gender, age, race and cause of death.RESULTS:The degree of atherosclerosis was significantly higher in the elderly. The aorta was thicker in the elderly and in cases with a cardiovascular cause of death. The thickness of the intima was significantly greater in the elderly, in males and in cases with a cardiovascular cause of death. The lipid content in the intima of the aorta was significantly higher in Caucasians. Older people and men had a significantly higher number of mast cells.CONCLUSION:A macroscopic evaluation is a good indicator of the severity of atherosclerosis, but a more detailed analysis, namely evaluating the thickness of the layers of the aorta and the number of mast cells, may further elucidate the changes in the constituents of this vessel.

Frequency of obesity and related risk factors among school children and adolescents in a low-income community. A cross-sectional study

“…3 In Brazil, similar to the situation in other developing countries, there are 300 deaths for CVD for every 100,000 inhabitants, 4 and 30% of these deaths are related to atherosclerosis. 5,6 Some patients may have one or more CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, smoking, dyslipidemia or low physical inactivity.…”

Epicardial fat thickness is associated with aortic intima‐media thickness in patients without clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

“…Furthermore, it has been reported that thoracic aortic IMT is strongly correlated with preclinical atherosclerosis. Ferraz et al . showed that thickness of aortic intima media was significantly increased in the elderly and strongly correlated with mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases.…”

Avaliação Macroscópica da Aterosclerose nas Artérias: Uma Ferramenta de Avaliação na Autópsia

“…Foi feita utilizando-se um critério já descrito na literatura. 9 A progressão de estrias lipídicas, de placas ateromatosas, de fibrose e de calcificação, na parede das artérias serviram de referência para pontuar a intensidade do acometimento (Figura 1). Em uma folha foi feita uma linha de 12,0 cm não milimetrada (Figura 2A).…”