Abstract: According to the World Health Organization, approximately 220 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients with type 2 diabetes not only have a chronic disease to cope with, they are also at increased risk for coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. The exact causes of type 2 diabetes are still not clear. Since the 17^th century, it has been suggested that emotional stress plays a role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. So far, review studies have mainly focused on depression as a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Yet, chronic emotional stress is an established risk factor for the development of depression. The present review provides an overview of mainly prospective epidemiological studies that have investigated the associations between different forms of emotional stress and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results of longitudinal studies suggest that not only depression but also general emotional stress and anxiety, sleeping problems, anger, and hostility are associated with an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Conflicting results were found regarding childhood neglect, life events, and work stress. It is important to emphasize that publication-bias may have occurred, resulting from "fishing-expeditions," where authors search their data for significant associations. Publication bias may also be caused by the tendency of reviewers and Editors to reject manuscripts with negative results for publication. It is therefore essential that research groups, who aim to conduct a new epidemiological cohort study, prospectively describe and publish the design of their study. Future research should focus on identifying mechanisms linking different forms of stress and incident type 2 diabetes. ... Read more

Abstract: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) has long been known to occur as a part of the atherosclerotic process; recently it has been shown to be an active process resembling bone formation within the vessel wall. There is good evidence that the extent of CAC reflects the total coronary atherosclerotic burden and this has generated interest in using CAC as a marker of risk. The current consensus is that large amounts of CAC identify a patient highly vulnerable to future events. The advent of CT angiography added the ability to non-invasively detect critical luminal stenoses that are associated with a more immediate risk of events, and to visualize the non-calcified component of the atherosclerotic plaque. ... Read more

Abstract: Metabolic syndrome is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Playing a central role in the development of metabolic syndrome and in its clinical consequences is visceral obesity. Adipose tissue is now considered to be an active endocrine organ that secretes various humoral factors (adipokines), and its shift to production of proinflammatory cytokines in obesity likely contributes to the low-level systemic inflammation that is seen in metabolic syndrome-associated chronic pathologies such as atherosclerosis. Recent studies have shown that obesity induces chronic local inflammation in adipose tissue, and that cells of the innate immune system, particularly macrophages, are crucially involved in adipose inflammation and systemic metabolic abnormalities. Moreover, we and others recently revealed that T cells are key regulators of adipose inflammation, and that the adaptive immune system is also crucially important. In mouse models modulation of T cell function ameliorated not only adipose inflammation but also systemic insulin resistance induced by obesity. Thus clarification of the inflammatory processes ongoing in obese adipose tissue would seem essential for the understanding of metabolic syndrome and for developing novel therapeutic strategies to treat it. ... Read more

Abstract: Historically atherosclerosis has been viewed as a disease associated with dyslipidemia because many studies (e.g., Framingham study) have demonstrated that dyslipidemia is clearly a risk factor for the disease and lipid-lowering statin therapies have proven to be highly effective in reducing the cardiovascular events and improving the quality of life for patients with coronary heart disease all over the world. Over the last decade, both preclinical and clinical research has provided multiple lines of unequivocal evidence that inflammation and immune response are integral components of the pathogenesis for atherosclerosis. In this article, both clinical and preclinical evidence in support of atherosclerosis as an inflammatory disease will be reviewed. Evidence in support of atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease will also be presented. Furthermore, opportunities for translating the newly gained knowledge of atherosclerosis as an inflammatory/autoimmune disease into novel diagnostic and therapeutic modalities will be discussed along with challenges in developing these modalities. ... Read more

Abstract: Severe obesity cuts one's life expectancy short by 5-20 years. If left unperturbed, the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States will reduce longevity in the U.S., in absolute terms, some time in the first half of this century, negating any positive factors so far known that increase longevity. ... Read more

Abstract: For more than 50 years, Framingham Heart Study has produced over 1,000 scientific papers and identified major risk factors associated with heart disease, stroke, and others. It changed America's heart. Cigarettes were no longer advertised as "your doctor's favorite brands." We knew, from the Study, that LDL is a "bad" cholesterol and HDL is a good one. ... Read more

Abstract: Obesity afflicts 300 million people worldwide, a condition described by the World Health Organization as a major chronic disease of pandemic proportion. Obesity invites many health hazards, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke. In addition to advocating a controlled energy intake, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs to prevent and treat obesity, as the only few drugs currently available have side effects that limit their long-term use. ... Read more

Abstract: Chemokines are small protein molecules that play a critical role in immune cell trafficking in the blood vessel lumen and within the blood vessel wall. Three such chemokines are actively involved in atherosclerosis. ... Read more

Abstract: Atherosclerosis, or the inflammation and hardening of artery walls, is the leading cause for heart attack and stroke. Finding the players that initiate and perpetuate atherosclerosis is important. Leukotrienes are among these players and present an inviting target for new drugs. ... Read more

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been consistently documented as being inversely correlated with the incidence of cardiovascular atherosclerosis and coronary heart diseases. HDL-C clears LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) from the blood circulation and helps reduce the blood level of LDL-C, which has the tendency to adhere to the wall of arteries, causing inflammation and ultimately atherosclerosis. The world’s best selling class of drugs, statins, reduce the level of LDL-C and therefore significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular atherosclerosis. It seems a logical idea that HDL-C could also be used as a therapeutic agent for lowering LDL-C. Has this avenue been ... Read more