Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions: A Triumph for Transcatheter Procedures?

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular pathology, estimated to affect 1.6 million people in the United States alone. Even though guidelines recommend either medical therapy or surgical treatment for TR, the misconception of TR as a benign disease along with the high mortality rates of surgical intervention led to undertreating this disease and commonly describing it as a "forgotten" valve.

Incidence and Prevalence of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Pericardial Syndromes.

Arrhythmias in pericardial syndromes have been poorly investigated and available data are mainly obtained from relevant studies however having different endpoints from arrhythmias. Thus, the incidence and prevalence of any type of arrhythmias may be actually higher than generally considered. Atrial arrhythmias, mainly atrial fibrillation and flutter have been reported as the most common rhythm disturbances in the setting of acute pericarditis.

Beneficial Effects of Sildenafil on Tissue Perfusion and Inflammation in a Murine Model of Limb Ischemia and Atherosclerosis.

Background: Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, has endothelium protective and angiogenic effects.

Objectives: To test if sildenafil improves tissue perfusion and neovascularization and downregulates proinflammatory molecules following limb ischemia.

Methods: 30 ApoE-/- male mice, bred with cholesterol rich diet for 4 weeks, were anesthetized and underwent unilateral hind-limb ischemia with ligation of the left femoral artery.

Effects of direct infusion of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and indirect mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells on atherosclerotic plaque and inflammatory process in atherosclerosis.

Background: We sought to investigate the effects of lin-/sca+ cells, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration on atherosclerotic plaque progression.

Methods: Apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice were splenectomized and treated with high-cholesterol diet for 6 weeks in order to induce atherosclerotic plaque development. Bone marrow-derived Lin-/sca-1+ cells were isolated and further cultured to early growth endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

Infusion of lin-/sca-1+ and endothelial progenitor cells improves proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers in atherosclerotic mice.

Background: The effects of direct infusion or indirect mobilization of progenitor cells on atherosclerotic plaque development and progression are not clear. We sought to investigate the effects of hematopoietic progenitors lineage negative/stem cell antigen-1 positive (lin-/sca-1+) cells, endothelial progenitor cells and G-CSF administration on the inflammatory and oxidative component of atherosclerosis.

Methods: Splenectomized ApoE(-/-) C57BL/6J mice (6-8 weeks of age) fed with a high-fat, cholesterol-rich diet for 6 weeks, were divided in four groups (n=10/group) and received two intravenous injections of 5 × 10(5) cells (lin-/sca-1+ or EPCs), or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF 100 μg/kg/day) for 7 days or normal saline.

Management of minor medical problems and trauma: the role of general practice.

Introduction: It has been established that patients prefer receiving health information from primary care physicians. In Greece, recent reforms supporting urban primary healthcare have not been enacted, and long waiting times in Athens' emergency departments are common.

Aim: To evaluate cases treated in the emergency department of a Greek general hospital and explore the potential role of primary care in managing these cases.