A Control-Theoretic Model of Atherosclerosis

Figures

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  Figure A1. Fitting the IMT time profile for patients on dialysis (severely sick).

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  Figure A2. Fitting the IMT time profile for healthy patients.

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  Figure 1. Possible IMT time profiles in persons with different atherosclerosis status. The dashed line represents atherosclerosis non-sufferers; the solid line—non-healthy but not necessarily “heavy” sufferers; the solid line—“heavy” sufferers.

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  Figure 2. Possible relationship between y (hsCRP) and c for non-medicated patients.

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  Figure 3. Hypothetical hsCRP scenarios of 3 male patients with different health histories. The dashed line is for a patient who is healthy until his mid-thirties when the levels of hsCRP start growing slowly; the dash-dotted line is for a patient who is healthy until his mid-thirties when the levels of hsCRP start growing rapidly; the solid line is for a male patient representative of an increased-risk group since young (hsCRP > 1 mg/L) and his health worsens after he turns 30; however, when he is about 45, his hsCRP stabilizes because of lifestyle changes.

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  Figure 4. Maximum IMT levels, c, as transformed hsCRP scenarios proposed in Figure 3. The dashed line represents a healthy male until his mid-thirties when the levels of hsCRP start growing slowly; the dash-dotted line—a healthy male until his mid-thirties when the levels of hsCRP start growing rapidly; the solid line—a male representing an increased-risk group (hsCRP > 1 mg/L) since young and his healthiness worsens after he turns 30; however, then, due to the proper conduct, his hsCRP stabilizes when he is about 45.

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  Figure 5. How IMT can evolve given hsCRP age profiles in Figure 3. The gray lines are copied from Figure 1, where the dashed line represents atherosclerosis non-sufferers; the solid line—not healthy but not necessarily “heavy” sufferers; the solid line—“heavy” sufferers. Each evolution is a result of an hsCRP scenario (Figure 3) and, then, of the corresponding progression of the maximum IMT level (Figure 4).

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  Figure 6. The decreasing effect of statins treatment on hsCRP.

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  Figure 7. Plausible age profiles for male patients (on dialysis) treated with Atorvastatin: 80 mg/d—dashed line; 40 mg/d—solid line.