Publications by authors named "Anastasios Kollias"

Although metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously termed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, has become the most common chronic liver disorder, its complex pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated up to date. A correlation between elevated sympathetic activation and MASLD has been highlighted in recent preclinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, increased sympathetic activity has been associated with the main mechanisms involved in MASLD, such as lipid accumulation in the liver, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysregulation, while it has been also correlated with the progression of MASLD, leading to liver fibrosis.

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  • - The study examined how effective and safe nifedipine GITS and ramipril are for treating hypertension in Chinese versus European patients through a post-hoc analysis of a multinational trial.
  • - The research found that while both medications reduced blood pressure similarly across ethnic groups, ethnic differences impacted age, body mass index, and certain blood pressure measurements, and the response to treatment varied between the two groups.
  • - The safety profiles noted significant differences, with fewer adverse events in Chinese patients taking nifedipine, while Europeans experienced more ankle edema with nifedipine and dry cough with ramipril.
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Renal denervation (RDN), a transcatheter renal sympathetic nerve ablation procedure, is a relatively novel established procedure for the treatment of hypertension, with it being recognized as a third option for hypertension management in the most recent European guidelines, together with pharmacotherapy, for achieving blood pressure targets. Given the relationship between both hypertension and sympathetic overdrive and the development of heart failure (HF), even studies at the dawn of research on RDN explored it as a treatment to overcome diuretic resistance in those patients. As it is now recognized that RDN does not only have organ-specific but also systemic effects, several investigators have aimed to delineate whether renal sympathetic denervation could alter the prognosis, symptoms, and adverse events of HF patients.

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Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common with advanced aging and is often asymptomatic and undiagnosed.

Aim: A blood pressure (BP) monitor with embedded algorithm for detecting AF with high diagnostic accuracy during routine automated BP measurement was used to screen individuals aged ≥ 65 years.

Methods: The EMENO health survey (2013-2016) applied a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to select a random general adult population sample in Greece.

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Description Of Aims And Systems Used: Olive (Olea europea L.) is one of the most economically important tree crops worldwide, especially for the countries in the Mediterranean basin. Given the economic and nutritional importance of the crop for olive oil and drupe production, we generated transcriptional atlases for the Greek olive cultivars "Chondrolia Chalkidikis" and "Koroneiki" which have contrasting characteristics in terms of fruit development, oil production properties, and use.

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  • Pulse wave velocity (PWV) serves as a strong indicator of arterial stiffness and is a better predictor of cardiovascular events compared to traditional risk factors, especially in the context of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
  • The meta-analysis reviewed studies on AIS patients, showing a higher PWV is linked to poorer functional outcomes and higher long-term risks such as mortality and stroke recurrence.
  • Findings suggest that monitoring PWV can enhance risk assessment and management in patients with vascular aging, indicating the importance of incorporating this measure into clinical practice.
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  • * Statins not only improve lipid levels but also enhance the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques, leading to plaque regression and reduced inflammation.
  • * New PCSK9 inhibitors show promise for better lipid control and outcomes when initiated right after an ACS, with studies suggesting they help in plaque stabilization and potentially lower mortality rates.
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  • A new blood pressure monitor called KOROT V2 Doctor was developed, integrating an electronic stethoscope to record and visually display Korotkoff sounds during BP measurement.
  • The device was tested on 85 individuals, with results showing that its BP readings closely matched reference measurements, satisfying the accuracy standards set by multiple medical organizations.
  • The KOROT V2 Doctor meets the necessary criteria for professional use and is recommended for clinical applications.
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  • The study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hypertension awareness and treatment in Greece, analyzing data collected in 2019 and 2022 during the May Measurement Month (MMM) initiative.
  • Data from over 12,000 adults revealed consistent hypertension prevalence rates (around 41-43%) before and after the pandemic, but an increase in undiagnosed cases was observed, rising from 21.3% to 27.5%.
  • The findings suggest that while the overall prevalence of hypertension remained stable, there is a pressing need for improved national strategies to detect and manage hypertension effectively in Greece, especially post-pandemic.
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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) compared to waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) in identifying youths at risk for cardiometabolic issues.
  • Data from over 34,000 children and adolescents from multiple countries was analyzed, focusing on those with cardiometabolic risk factors, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and arterial stiffness.
  • Results showed that WHtR, WC, and BMI performed similarly in identifying at-risk youths, with WHtR being highlighted as a simple and effective screening tool for clinical use.
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  • Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasingly common in kids aged 6-17, but existing definitions are complex and hard to use in practice.
  • A new simplified definition was proposed and tested against two established definitions (IDF and NCEP) across 10 global pediatric populations, involving almost 20,000 youths.
  • The simplified definition proved effective in identifying MetS risk, showing good agreement with existing methods and could help pediatricians quickly assess and monitor MetS in various populations for better prevention strategies.
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  • The study investigates how different methods of measuring blood pressure variability (OBP, HBP, and ABP) are related and agree with each other, particularly before and after starting treatment for high blood pressure.
  • Participants included untreated hypertensive individuals who were given either ramipril or nifedipine GITS for 10 weeks, with their blood pressure variability assessed using standard deviation and coefficient of variation.
  • Results showed only weak-to-moderate correlations between home and ambulatory BP measurements, indicating that while they can identify individuals with high blood pressure variability, they do not align well with office measurements.
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  • A new automated blood pressure monitor, the KOROT P3 Accurate, was studied to see if reviewing Korotkoff sound curves by healthcare professionals enhances its accuracy in identifying unreliable blood pressure readings.
  • Three observers independently assessed the quality of sound curves from 255 blood pressure measurements, finding that up to 80.4% of systolic and 76.9% of diastolic readings were of good quality.
  • The study concluded that visual assessments of these sounds can help eliminate poor-quality readings, thereby improving the monitor's overall accuracy.
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Recent evidence suggests that an exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response to standing (ERTS) is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, both in young and old individuals. In addition, ERTS has been shown to be an independent predictor of masked hypertension. In the vast majority of studies reporting on the prognostic value of orthostatic hypertension (OHT), the definition was based only on systolic office BP measurements.

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Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often asymptomatic and undiagnosed. As AF and hypertension often coexist, opportunistic AF detection during routine automated blood pressure (BP) measurement appears to be an attractive screening method.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies assessing the diagnostic test accuracy of office, home, or 24-hour ambulatory BP measuring devices with AF detection algorithms versus reference electrocardiography.

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Telemedicine is increasingly used in several fields of healthcare, including vascular medicine. This study aimed to investigate the views of experts and propose clinical practice recommendations on the possible applications of telemedicine in vascular medicine. A clinical guidance group proposed a set of 67 clinical practice recommendations based on the synthesis of current evidence and expert opinion.

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  • The study investigates the immunological and metabolic health of people living with HIV (PLWH) on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) at Laiko General Hospital in Athens, focusing on potential health issues compared to the general population.
  • It examines specific plasma markers and compares those receiving integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs), finding higher IL-6 levels in the PIs group and normal-range LBP mostly in the INSTIs group.
  • Overall, glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels increased after viral suppression, particularly in the PIs group, although many other parameters showed no significant differences between the treatment groups.
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  • - Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a significant issue among lung cancer patients, increasing their risk of thrombosis compared to other cancers and potentially heightened by new treatments like immunotherapy and targeted therapies.
  • - Various risk-assessment models, such as the Khorana Risk Score, have been developed to evaluate thrombosis risk in lung cancer patients, considering factors like genetics and cancer stage.
  • - Management of CAT is guided by extensive trials showing effective use of anticoagulants like low-molecular-weight heparins and direct oral anticoagulants, with treatment tailored to individual patient factors and also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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  • The study compares ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and self-home blood pressure (HBP) measurements to determine which is better at predicting cardiovascular events, as both are known to be more reliable than traditional office blood pressure (OBP) readings.
  • A systematic review analyzed six relevant studies with nearly 4,500 participants, finding no significant difference in prognostic ability between HBP and ABP for increased risks associated with blood pressure increases, although both methods were better than OBP.
  • The conclusion emphasizes that both HBP and ABP show similar effectiveness in predicting cardiovascular outcomes, supporting their use over OBP in clinical practice.
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  • This study examined how seasonal changes impact blood pressure variability in patients on stable antihypertensive medication.
  • During the research, it was found that average blood pressure readings (OBP, HBP, and ABP) were significantly lower in summer compared to winter, while nighttime blood pressure remained constant.
  • Despite these average differences, parameters indicating blood pressure variability (like SD and ARV) were higher in winter for OBP but did not show significant changes for HBP and ABP across seasons, suggesting that blood pressure variability is stable regardless of seasonal fluctuations.
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