Medical Management of Atherosclerotic Risk Factors in Vascular Surgery Patients

Abstract

There is an epidemic of cardiovascular disease in the United States, which is responsible for approximately one death every 40 seconds in the United States. Whereas the overall mortality attributable to cardiovascular disease is decreasing, the overall prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors is increasing. Optimal management of atherosclerotic risk factors can have profound effects on morbidity and mortality after vascular surgical procedures. This review covers risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis; the evaluation of patients with vascular disease; management of tobacco abuse, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and antiplatelet agents; and perioperative medical management concerns in vascular surgery. Tables highlight investigational biomarkers for atherosclerosis, behavioral modification recommendations to be used to improve smoking cessation, Eighth Joint National Committee guidelines for blood pressure management, definitions of high- and moderate-intensity statin therapy, and potential future areas of research. Algorithms lay out the effects of cigarette smoke, the proposed mechanism of statin pleiotropy as it pertains to the vasculature, and the proposed mechanisms of the role of hyperglycemia in atherogenesis. This review contains 3 figures, 6 tables, and 79 references.