Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Subha V. Raman
Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 473 W. 12th Ave, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43210
Tanzania
Research Article
Design and Rationale for the Study of Changes in Iron and Atherosclerosis Risk in Perimenopause
Author(s): Georgeta Mihai, Xin He, Xiaolan Zhang, Beth McCarthy, Tam Tran, Michael Pennell, Jessica Blank, Orlando P. Simonetti, Rebecca D. Jackson and Subha V. RamanGeorgeta Mihai, Xin He, Xiaolan Zhang, Beth McCarthy, Tam Tran, Michael Pennell, Jessica Blank, Orlando P. Simonetti, Rebecca D. Jackson and Subha V. Raman
This study seeks to investigate changes in iron homeostasis and carotid arteries in women at risk of atherosclerosis, addressing a relatively unexplored hypothesis explaining why women have a 5-10 year lag in initial atherosclerotic events. Recent evidence points to hepcidin, the key regulator of macrophage iron uptake and release, as a potential mediator of risk. Furthermore, iron catalyzes the generation of free radicals that oxidize cholesterol stimulating atheroma formation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is ideally suited to study iron because of iron's local effects on magnetic susceptibility that can be quantified using a relaxation parameter called T2* ('T2-star'), as well as the ability to noninvasively characterize and quantify atherosclerotic plaque with MRI. This work outlines the rationale and study design to provide critical evidence related to the iron hypothesis, suc.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2155-9880.1000152