[Stroke risk stratification in elderly patients with comorbid sarcopenia and atherosclerosis]

OBJECTIVE

The study was to investigate the features of carotid arteries atherosclerosis as the leading risk factor for atherothrombotic stroke in elderly patients depending on the presence of sarcopenia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

2 groups of patients above the working age were examined: 110 patients with normal muscle mass and 24 suffering sarcopenia. Ultrasound examination of carotid and vertebral arteries extracranial segments was performed with an assessment of atherosclerotic changes severity, atherosclerotic plaques instability, 10-year risk of stroke (according to Framingham risk score) and a 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease (SCORE risk scale).

RESULTS

10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease was 3 [2; 5] points for patients without sarcopenia, 3 [2; 3] points for patients with sarcopenia (p=0.81). The 10-year risk of stroke was 16 [12; 18] for patients without sarcopenia, 18 [15; 22] points for patients with sarcopenia (p=0.1). Due to the ultrasound examination data the incidence of carotid arteries atherosclerotic lesions in patients without sarcopenia was 50 (46.3%), in patients with sarcopenia - 18 (75.0%) (p=0.01). Statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the atherosclerotic plaques instability signs was revealed in patients suffering sarcopenia compared to those without it: heterogeneous echotexture - 66.7% cases versus 38.2% (p=0.01), presence of hypoechoic masses - 41.7% patients vs 12.7% (p=0.02).

CONCLUSION

It is important to take into account not only traditional risk factors in the overall assessment of cardiovascular risk as well as therapeutic and preventive measures planning in elderly patients, but also pay attention to body composition since modern diagnostic systems may be not sensitive enough to identify high-risk patients with comorbid atherosclerosis and sarcopenia.

[Clinical implications of chronic mesenteric ischemia in elderly and senile patients]

AIM

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia in elderly and senile patients with mesenteric atherosclerosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 142 patients (82 men and 60 women). The median age of patients is 66.0 [62.0; 72.0] years.

RESULTS

According to MDCT atherosclerotic lesions of the abdominal aorta and its unpaired visceral branches were diagnosed in 105 (73.9%) patients. A combination of atherosclerosis of the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery with the presence of hemodynamically insignificant stenosis was revealed. Hemodynamically significant atherosclerotic narrowing of at least one mesenteric artery was present in 15% of cases. Among them, a single vascular lesion was found in 6 patients (4.2%), a combination of hemodynamically significant lesions of two arteries in 15 (11%) patients. Depending on the clinical manifestations, all patients are divided into two groups: the first group 30 (21.1%) patients with the presence of symptoms characteristic of chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). The second group consisted of 112 (78.8%) patients without a characteristic triad of symptoms. The clinical symptom complex of СMI, including postprandial abdominal pain, intestinal dysfunction and progressive weight loss, as a diagnostic criterion showed low sensitivity 13.3% and specificity 77.9%. At the same time, the sensitivity of such a clinical combination as a combination of atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities, weight loss and abdominal pain syndrome with a severity of more than 5.5 points, with respect to the detection of hemodynamically significant stenoses of two or more mesenteric arteries was sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 74.0%.

[Glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus on hemodialysis]

Achievement of stabilization of carbohydrate metabolism in patients with diabetes mellitus, receiving renal replacement therapy with hemodialysis, is a significant problem in endocrinology. It has to do with multiple factors of this cohort of patients, which affect the level of glycemia, pharmacokinetic of drugs, the efficiency of glycemic control. At the moment, the most efficiency method of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on hemodialysis is insulin therapy in the basis - bolus regime by analogues of human insulin. The use of oral hypoglycemic agents is significantly limited. The hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) remains the main parameter of glycemic control. The simultaneous use of continuous glucose monitoring allows to reveal the true level of glucose of the blood and to carry out the timely correction of therapy in order to achieve targets for glycemic control and to decrease the risk of hypoglycemic episodes. At the moment other glycemic control markers such as glycated albumin and fructosamine are described. However, in routine practice at the moment these indicators are not used due to the lack of sufficient evidentiary base of their use in this cohort of patients.