Air pollution and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk: a 7-year study from a highly polluted area.

Aims: Globally, nearly 20% of cardiovascular disease deaths were attributable to air pollution. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) represents a major public health problem; therefore, the identification of novel OHCA triggers is of crucial relevance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between air pollution (short-, mid-, and long-term exposures) and OHCA risk, during a 7-year period in a highly polluted urban area in northern Italy, with a high density of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Chest CT opportunistic biomarkers for phenotyping high-risk COVID-19 patients: a retrospective multicentre study.

Objective: To assess the value of opportunistic biomarkers derived from chest CT performed at hospital admission of COVID-19 patients for the phenotypization of high-risk patients.

Methods: In this multicentre retrospective study, 1845 consecutive COVID-19 patients with chest CT performed within 72 h from hospital admission were analysed. Clinical and outcome data were collected by each center 30 and 80 days after hospital admission.

AI-SCoRE (artificial intelligence-SARS CoV2 risk evaluation): a fast, objective and fully automated platform to predict the outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: To develop and validate an effective and user-friendly AI platform based on a few unbiased clinical variables integrated with advanced CT automatic analysis for COVID-19 patients' risk stratification.

Material And Methods: In total, 1575 consecutive COVID-19 adults admitted to 16 hospitals during wave 1 (February 16-April 29, 2020), submitted to chest CT within 72 h from admission, were retrospectively enrolled. In total, 107 variables were initially collected; 64 extracted from CT.

Kounis syndrome: from an unexpected case in the Emergency Room to a review of the literature.

Kounis syndrome (KS) is a coronary syndrome in the setting of allergic/anaphylactic reactions and can be classified in three variants: vasospastic allergic angina (type I), allergic myocardial infarction (type II) and stent thrombosis (type III). The early diagnosis is of paramount importance for the correct management and the prognosis, being KS a life-threatening emergency condition. KS is not uncommon, but it is frequently unrecognized or undiagnosed in virtue of its broad clinical manifestations.

[Acute coronary syndrome after insect bites: a systematic review of available literature].

Background: Kounis syndrome is a hypersensitivity coronary disorder induced by exposure to several triggers; the most common are antibiotics, followed by insect bites.

Methods: We reviewed the literature and identified 66 patients who experienced acute coronary syndrome after insect bites.

Results: The median age was 51 years, and 19.

Pre-admission acetylsalicylic acid therapy and impact on in-hospital outcome in COVID-19 patients: The ASA-CARE study.

Background: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exhibit high thrombotic risk. The evidence on a potential independent prognostic role of antiplatelet treatment in those patients is limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of pre-admission low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in a wide series of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

[Stent loss and successful retrieval with the loop snare technique].

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to our coronary care unit for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Urgent left transradial coronary angiography showed mid-distal high-grade stenosis of the left circumflex coronary artery. During percutaneous coronary intervention, stent dislodgement from the balloon catheter occurred.

The Combination of Chest Computed Tomography and Standard Electrocardiogram Provides Prognostic Information and Pathophysiological Insights in COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Aims: Several studies have unveiled the great heterogeneity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Identification of the "vascular phenotype" (involving both pulmonary parenchyma and its circulation) has prognostic significance. Our aim was to explore the combined role of chest computed tomography (CT) scan and electrocardiogram (ECG) at hospital admission in predicting short-term prognosis and to draw pathophysiological insights.

The hidden interplay between sex and COVID-19 mortality: the role of cardiovascular calcification.

Recent clinical and demographical studies on COVID-19 patients have demonstrated that men experience worse outcomes than women. However, in most cases, the data were not stratified according to gender, limiting the understanding of the real impact of gender on outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the disaggregated in-hospital outcomes and explore the possible interactions between gender and cardiovascular calcifications.

Impact of clinical and subclinical coronary artery disease as assessed by coronary artery calcium in COVID-19.

Background And Aims: The potential impact of coronary atherosclerosis, as detected by coronary artery calcium, on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients remains unsettled. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of clinical and subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD), as assessed by coronary artery calcium score (CAC), in a large, unselected population of hospitalized COVID-19 patients undergoing non-gated chest computed tomography (CT) for clinical practice.

Methods: SARS-CoV 2 positive patients from the multicenter (16 Italian hospitals), retrospective observational SCORE COVID-19 (calcium score for COVID-19 Risk Evaluation) registry were stratified in three groups: (a) "clinical CAD" (prior revascularization history), (b) "subclinical CAD" (CAC >0), (c) "No CAD" (CAC = 0).

Coronary and total thoracic calcium scores predict mortality and provides pathophysiologic insights in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide determining dramatic impacts on healthcare systems. Early identification of high-risk parameters is required in order to provide the best therapeutic approach. Coronary, thoracic aorta and aortic valve calcium can be measured from a non-gated chest computer tomography (CT) and are validated predictors of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Chest CT-derived pulmonary artery enlargement at the admission predicts overall survival in COVID-19 patients: insight from 1461 consecutive patients in Italy.

Objectives: Enlarged main pulmonary artery diameter (MPAD) resulted to be associated with pulmonary hypertension and mortality in a non-COVID-19 setting. The aim was to investigate and validate the association between MPAD enlargement and overall survival in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: This is a cohort study on 1469 consecutive COVID-19 patients submitted to chest CT within 72 h from admission in seven tertiary level hospitals in Northern Italy, between March 1 and April 20, 2020.

[Takotsubo syndrome during SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: a possible cardiovascular complication].

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is one of the causes of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, and is often triggered by physical events (e.g. acute respiratory failure), or emotional events (e.

Italian Multicenter Registry of Bare Metal Stent Use in Modern Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Era (AMARCORD): A multicenter observational study.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the use of bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in current percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) era, focusing on indications for use and clinical outcomes.

Background: Limited data on BMS usage in current clinical practice are available.

Methods: All patients who underwent PCI with at least one BMS implantation in 18 Italian centers from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017, were included in our registry.

The Effects of a Standard Postoperative Rehabilitation Protocol for Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair on Pain, Function, and Health Perception.

 There is still conflicting evidence to support postoperative rehabilitation protocols using immobilization following rotator cuff repair over early motion. The objective of the study was to evaluate the evolution of pain, shoulder function, and patients' perception of their health status up to 1 year after cuff rotator repair and a standard postoperative rehabilitation protocol consisting of 4 weeks of immobilization followed by a 2-week assisted controlled rehabilitation.  Descriptive, longitudinal, uncontrolled case-series study was performed on 49 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair following traumatic or degenerative lesions.

Impact and evolution of right ventricular dysfunction after successful MitraClip implantation in patients with functional mitral regurgitation.

Background: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVdysf) is a predictor of poor outcome in patients with heart failure and valvular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution and the impact of RVdysf in patients with moderate-severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) successfully treated with MitraClip.

Methods And Results: From October 2008 to July 2014, 60 consecutive high surgical risk FMR patients were evaluated and stratified into two groups: RVdysf group (TAPSE < 16 mm and/or S'TDI < 10 cm/s, 21 patients) and No-RVdysf group (38 patients).

Platelet reactivity in response to loading dose of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin in patients with stable coronary disease before percutaneous coronary intervention: The STATIPLAT randomized study.

Background: The acute effects of statin loading dose (LD) on platelet reactivity in patients with chronic stable angina (CSA) are not completely clear.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that LDs of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin have different pharmacodynamic acute effects on platelet aggregability in CSA patients with baseline normal platelet reactivity while on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).

Methods: From September 2011 to February 2014, all consecutive CSA patients on chronic DAPT (aspirin and clopidogrel) were evaluated before elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

One-year clinical outcome of amphilimus polymer-free drug-eluting stent in diabetes mellitus patients: Insight from the ASTUTE registry (AmphilimuS iTalian mUlticenTre rEgistry).

Background: Despite several improvements in drug-eluting stent (DES) technology, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are affected by higher rate of adverse events after PCI with DES, mainly in terms of target lesion revascularization (TLR). The Cre8 stent, a polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stent (AES), has shown promising preliminary results in DM patients. The ASTUTE registry was conceived to assess clinical performance of this polymer-free AES in DM in a "real-world" multicenter-independent cohort of patients.

Effects of functional tricuspid regurgitation on renal function and long-term prognosis in patients with heart failure.

Aims: Renal dysfunction is common in heart failure. Recent evidence suggests a pivotal role for systemic venous congestion and functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) in the pathophysiology of renal dysfunction. We investigated the role of FTR as a determinant of renal dysfunction and a predictor of long-term prognosis in chronic systolic heart failure patients.