Letter
The Relationship Between Bilirubin Levels and Atherosclerosis
Angiology 2015, Vol. 66(1) 96 ª The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0003319714521688 ang.sagepub.com
Cengiz Ozturk, MD1, and Ahmet Ozturk, MD2
We read the article entitled ‘‘Associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and calcified atherosclerosis with aortoiliac bifurcation position: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis’’ by Forbang et al with interest.1 They found relationships between aortoiliac bifurcation position and age and gender and vascular risk factors. There are reports of a relationship between circulating bilirubin levels and atherosclerosis and a protective effect of bilirubin has also been reported in some studies.2-7 This includes links between some aortic characteristics and bilirubin levels.6,7 Bilirubin levels were not reported by Forbang et al.1 Are bilirubin values available in their study? References 1. Forbang NI, Ix JH, Allison MA, Criqui MH. Associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and calcified atherosclerosis with aortoiliac bifurcation position: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis. Angiology. 2015;66(1):90-95. 2. Katsiki N, Karagiannis A, Mikhailidis DP. Diabetes, bilirubin and amputations: is there a link? Diabetologia. 2013;56(4):683-685.
3. Breimer LH, Mikhailidis DP. Is bilirubin a marker of vascular disease and/or cancer and is it a potential therapeutic target? Curr Pharm Des. 2011;17(33):3644-3655. 4. Celik T, Kaya MG, Akpek M, Yarlioglues M, Sarli B, Topsakal R, et al. Does serum bilirubin level on admission predict TIMI flow grade and in-hospital MACE in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Angiology. 2014;65(3):198-204. 5. Demirkol S, Balta S, Celik T, Unlu M, Arslan Z, Cakar M, et al. Carotid intima media thickness and its association with total bilirubin levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia [published online on January 27, 2013]. Angiology. 2013. doi: 10.1177/0003319712473796. 6. Kalkan GY, Gu¨r M, Baykan AO, Koyunsever NY, Kaypakli O, Sen O, et al. Serum bilirubin level and aortic intima–media thickness in patients without clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Angiology. 2014;65(4):308-312. 7. Caliskan M, Erdogan D, Gullu H, Tok D, Bilgi M, Muderrisoglu H. Low serum bilirubin concentrations are associated with impaired aortic elastic properties, but not impaired left ventricular diastolic function. Int J Clin Pract. 2007;61(2): 218-224.
1
Department of Cardiology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey Department of Geriatric Medicine, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey
2
Corresponding Author: Cengiz Ozturk, Department of Cardiology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. Email: [email protected]
Downloaded from ang.sagepub.com at UNIVERSITE LAVAL on January 21, 2015
The Relationship Between Bilirubin Levels and Atherosclerosis
Angiology 2015, Vol. 66(1) 96 ª The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0003319714521688 ang.sagepub.com
Cengiz Ozturk, MD1, and Ahmet Ozturk, MD2
We read the article entitled ‘‘Associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and calcified atherosclerosis with aortoiliac bifurcation position: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis’’ by Forbang et al with interest.1 They found relationships between aortoiliac bifurcation position and age and gender and vascular risk factors. There are reports of a relationship between circulating bilirubin levels and atherosclerosis and a protective effect of bilirubin has also been reported in some studies.2-7 This includes links between some aortic characteristics and bilirubin levels.6,7 Bilirubin levels were not reported by Forbang et al.1 Are bilirubin values available in their study? References 1. Forbang NI, Ix JH, Allison MA, Criqui MH. Associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and calcified atherosclerosis with aortoiliac bifurcation position: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis. Angiology. 2015;66(1):90-95. 2. Katsiki N, Karagiannis A, Mikhailidis DP. Diabetes, bilirubin and amputations: is there a link? Diabetologia. 2013;56(4):683-685.
3. Breimer LH, Mikhailidis DP. Is bilirubin a marker of vascular disease and/or cancer and is it a potential therapeutic target? Curr Pharm Des. 2011;17(33):3644-3655. 4. Celik T, Kaya MG, Akpek M, Yarlioglues M, Sarli B, Topsakal R, et al. Does serum bilirubin level on admission predict TIMI flow grade and in-hospital MACE in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Angiology. 2014;65(3):198-204. 5. Demirkol S, Balta S, Celik T, Unlu M, Arslan Z, Cakar M, et al. Carotid intima media thickness and its association with total bilirubin levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia [published online on January 27, 2013]. Angiology. 2013. doi: 10.1177/0003319712473796. 6. Kalkan GY, Gu¨r M, Baykan AO, Koyunsever NY, Kaypakli O, Sen O, et al. Serum bilirubin level and aortic intima–media thickness in patients without clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Angiology. 2014;65(4):308-312. 7. Caliskan M, Erdogan D, Gullu H, Tok D, Bilgi M, Muderrisoglu H. Low serum bilirubin concentrations are associated with impaired aortic elastic properties, but not impaired left ventricular diastolic function. Int J Clin Pract. 2007;61(2): 218-224.
1
Department of Cardiology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey Department of Geriatric Medicine, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey
2
Corresponding Author: Cengiz Ozturk, Department of Cardiology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. Email: [email protected]
Downloaded from ang.sagepub.com at UNIVERSITE LAVAL on January 21, 2015
