A Randomized Controlled Trial of Nonfasting vs Fasting Before Interventional Coronary Procedures: The TONIC Trial.

Background: Fasting before coronary procedures is currently recommended to reduce complications despite the lack of scientific evidence.

Objectives: The TONIC (Comparison Between Fasting and No Fasting Before Interventional Coronary Intervention on the Occurrence of Adverse Events) noninferiority trial investigated the safety and comfort of a nonfasting strategy (ad libitum food and drinks) vs traditional fasting (>6 hours for solid food and liquids) before coronary procedures.

Methods: In this monocentric, prospective, single-blind randomized controlled trial, 739 patients undergoing coronary procedures were included and randomized to a fasting or a nonfasting strategy.

Procedural embolic protection strategies for carotid artery stenting: current status and future prospects.

Introduction: Carotid artery angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is an established procedure to treat carotid artery stenosis for either primary or secondary prevention of stroke. Randomized clinical trials have shown an increased risk of periprocedural cerebrovascular events with CAS compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Several strategies have been proposed to mitigate this risk, including alternative vascular access site, proximal/distal embolic protection devices, and dual-layer stents, among others.

On-line estimated peak skin dose during percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion using new patient dose mapping technology.

Background: X-ray exposure during complex percutaneous coronary intervention is a very important issue.

Aim: To reduce patient peak skin dose during percutaneous coronary intervention procedures for chronic total occlusion using on-line estimated peak skin dose software (Dose Map).

Methods: Throughout the procedure, Dose Map provided a map of local cumulative peak skin dose.

Percutaneous angio-guided versus surgical veno-arterial ECLS implantation in patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest.

Background: Veno-arterial Extracorporeal Life Support (V-A ECLS) has gained increasing place into the management of patients with refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. Both surgical and percutaneous approach can be used for cannulation, but percutaneous approach has been associated with fewer complications. Angio-guided percutaneous cannulation and decannulation may further decrease the rate of complication.

Complete percutaneous angio-guided approach using preclosing for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation implantation and explantation in patients with refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest.

Background: The approach for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation implantation (VA-ECMO) in patients with cardiogenic shock can be either surgical or percutaneous. Complete angio-guided percutaneous implantation and explantation could decrease vascular complications. We sought to describe the initial results of complete percutaneous angio-guided ECMO implantation and explantation using preclosing.

Feasibility of Prone Position Coronary Angiography in a Patient With COVID-19 Pneumonia and Refractory Hypoxemia.

A 57-year-old woman hospitalized for a COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019)-related refractory acute respiratory distress syndrome developed a few days later anteroseptal ST-segment elevation with acute systolic dysfunction. Coronary angiography was performed with the patient in prone (face down) position, owing to the necessity to maintain a reasonable oxygen saturation during the examination. ().

New-generation drug-eluting stents for left main coronary artery disease according to the EXCEL trial enrollment criteria: Insights from the all-comers, international, multicenter DELTA-2 registry.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been established as an alternative treatment option to coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) surgery in patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). Whether the findings of randomized controlled trials are applicable to a real-world patient population is unclear.

Methods: We compared the outcomes of PCI with new-generation DES in the all-comer, international, multicenter DELTA-2 registry retrospectively evaluating mid-term clinical outcomes with the historical CABG cohort enrolled in the DELTA-1 registry according to the EXCEL key inclusion or exclusion criteria.

Fluoroscopic Anatomy of Right-Sided Heart Structures for Transcatheter Interventions.

Performing transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions requires a thorough knowledge of right-heart imaging. Integration of chamber views across the spectrum of imaging modalities (i.e.

The DELTA 2 Registry: A Multicenter Registry Evaluating Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents in Patients With Obstructive Left Main Coronary Artery Disease.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of unprotected left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new-generation drug-eluting stents in a "real world" population.

Background: PCI of the unprotected left main coronary artery is currently recommended as an alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in selected patients.

Methods: All consecutive patients with unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis treated by PCI with second-generation drug-eluting stents were analyzed in this international, all-comers, multicenter registry.

Effects of statins on plaque rupture assessed by optical coherence tomography in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes: insights from the optical coherence tomography (OCT)-FORMIDABLE registry.

Aims: Chronic pre-treatment with statins may reduce mortality and morbidity in patients experiencing acute coronary syndromes (ACS), but mechanisms accounting for these findings are not completely understood.

Methods And Results: The optical coherence tomography (OCT)-Formidable registry retrospectively enrolled 285 consecutive patients with ACS undergoing OCT in 9 European centres. Mean age was 60.

Reproducibility of serial optical coherence tomography measurements for lumen area and plaque components in humans (The CLI-VAR [Centro per la Lotta Contro l'Infarto-variability] II study).

Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a promising intracoronary imaging technique to study atherosclerosis. Indeed, its unprecedented spatial resolution allows the assessment of fibrous cap thickness, lipid pool and features of plaque vulnerability. Aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of the in vivo FD-OCT measurements of lumen area and plaque components in serial studies.

Managing bioabsorbable vascular scaffold failure: combined scaffold restenosis and late-acquired coronary aneurysm treated with self-expandable stent.

A 50-year-old man underwent coronary angiography for stable angina with evidence of chronic total occlusion of the right coronary artery. Chronic total occlusion recanalization was performed with implantation of 4 overlapping bioresorbable vascular scaffolds. At 12 months, elective follow-up coronary angiography documented an asymptomatic 90% in-scaffold restenosis of the right coronary artery located in the mid portion of a newly late-acquired aneurysm.

Comparative one-year effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in patients <75 versus ≥75 years with unprotected left main disease (from the CUSTOMIZE Registry).

There is a lack of knowledge on the interaction between age and left main coronary artery revascularization. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with left main coronary artery disease aged <75 versus ≥75 years. Of a total of 894 patients included, 692 (77.

Silibinin modulates lipid homeostasis and inhibits nuclear factor kappa B activation in experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with increased liver-related mortality. Disturbances in hepatic lipid homeostasis trigger oxidative stress and inflammation (ie, lipotoxicity), leading to the progression of NASH. This study aimed at identifying whether silibinin may influence the molecular events of lipotoxicity in a mouse model of NASH.

Silibinin improves hepatic and myocardial injury in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a chronic metabolic disorder with significant impact on cardiovascular and liver mortality.

Aims: In this study, we examined the effects of silibinin on liver and myocardium injury in an experimental model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Methods: A four-week daily dose of silibinin (20 mg/kg i.

Effect of silibinin on endothelial dysfunction and ADMA levels in obese diabetic mice.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in diabetic patients have endothelial dysfunction as a key pathogenetic event. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), plays a pivotal role in endothelial dysfunction. Different natural polyphenols have been shown to preserve endothelial function and prevent CVD.

Comparison of one-year outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes (from the CUSTOMIZE Registry).

Uncertainty surrounds the optimal revascularization strategy for patients with left main coronary artery disease presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), and adequately sized specific comparisons of percutaneous and surgical revascularization in this scenario are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with left main coronary artery disease and ACS treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and drug-eluting stent implantation or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A total of 583 patients were included.

High frequency of chronic bacterial and non-inflammatory prostatitis in infertile patients with prostatitis syndrome plus irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Although prostatitis syndrome (PS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common disorders, information on the prevalence of IBS in infertile patients with PS is relatively scanty. Therefore, this study was undertaken to estimate the frequency of PS and IBS and to evaluate the prevalence of the various diagnostic categories of prostatitis.

Methodology/principal Findings: This study enrolled 152 patients with PS, diagnosed by the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) in an andrological setting, and 204 patients with IBS, diagnosed according to the Rome III diagnostic criteria in a gastroenterological setting.

Oxidative stress and cellular stress response in diabetic nephropathy.

Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a main role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. As a consequence of this increased oxidative status, a cellular-adaptive response occurs requiring functional chaperones, antioxidant production, and protein degradation. This study was designed to evaluate systemic oxidative stress and cellular stress response in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes-induced nephropathy and in age-matched healthy subjects.