ARTERIAL DISORDERS. DEFINITION, CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS, MECHANISMS AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES

As our knowledge about arterial disease is greatly expanding, the aim of this book is to explore all aspects of arterial pathology, including classification, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and therapeutic options. The discussion of pathophysiologic mechanisms of arterial disease is wide ranging, encompassing hemodynamic, metabolic, humoral, inflammatory, genetic and environmental factors.

Particular emphasis is placed on recent concepts, such as: the role of age-associated arterial alterations in the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases in older persons, the importance of mineral metabolism-bone vascular interactions, the clinical and prognostic significance of the renal resistive index, retinal circulation, toxemia of pregnancy as an arterial disease, and the role of pulmonary/vascular interaction in pulmonary hypertension and cross-talk of macrocirculation and microcirculation in target organ involvement.

Evaluation procedures are carefully explained, and the full range of currently available therapeutic options, including lifestyle modifications and pharmacologic approaches, are described and appraised.

Table of contents (29 chapters)
1.Definition and Epidemiology of Arterial Disease
2.Overview of the Normal Structure and Function of the Macrocirculation and Microcirculation
3.Atherosclerosis
4.Arteriosclerosis/Large Artery Disease
5.Vascular Changes in the Microcirculation: Arterial Remodeling and Capillary Rarefaction
6.Perinatal Programming of Cardiovascular Disease
7.Hemodynamic and Mechanical Factors Acting on Arteries
8.Role of Metabolic Factors: Lipids, Glucose/Insulin Intolerance
9.Biomarkers of Vascular Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease
10.Neurohormonal Interactions
11.Arterial Interactions with Mineral and Bone Disorders
12.Endothelial Function in Health and Disease
13.Pharmacologic and Environmental Factors: Coffee, Smoking, and Sodium
14.Arterial Ageing
15.Renal Arterial Aging
16.Diabetes Mellitus: Alterations in Vessel Wall Properties
17.Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
18.Systemic Vasculitides
19.Marfan Syndrome and Related Heritable Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections
20.Arterial Alterations in Hypertension
21.Chronic Kidney Disease and Renovascular Interactions
22.Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
23.Cerebrovascular Interactions in Cerebral Disorders (Stroke, Transient Ischaemic Attacks, Microvascular Disease, Migraine)
24.Pre-eclampsia: A Multifaceted Disorder of Pregnancy
25.Kidney Transplantation: Indices of Large Arterial Function in Recipients and Donors
26.Arterial Function
27.Doppler-Based Renal Resistive Index: Clinical and Prognostic Significance
28.Retinal Circulation in Arterial Disease
29.Therapeutic Options: Lifestyle Measures and Pharmacological Approaches