Focusing on the Native Matrix Proteins in Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis.

Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is a widespread valvular heart disease affecting people in aging societies, primarily characterized by fibrosis, inflammation, and progressive calcification, leading to valve orifice stenosis. Understanding the factors associated with CAVS onset and progression is crucial to develop effective future pharmaceutical therapies. In CAVS, native extracellular matrix proteins modifications, play a significant role in calcification in vitro and in vivo.

Machine Learning Model for Predicting CVD Risk on NHANES Data.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health problem throughout the world. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and also causes considerable economic burden to society. The early symptoms related to previous observations and abnormal events, which can be subjectively acquired by self-assessment of individuals, bear significant clinical relevance and are regularly preserved in the patient's health record.

A Platform for Health Record Management of the Conscripts in the Hellenic Navy.

eMass project aims to digitalize the medical examination procedure of recruitment phase of conscripts in the Hellenic Navy. eMass integrates recruits' Electronic Health Record (EHR), while allows a pre-screening test, through portable telemedicine equipment. The data will be exploited to assess the individual's cardiovascular risk through appropriate digital tools and algorithms.

Long-term clinical outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft surgery compared to those of percutaneous coronary intervention with second generation drug eluting stents in patients with stable angina and an isolated lesion in the proximal left anterior descending artery.

Objectives: We compared the long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation drug-eluting stents (PCI-DES) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with the left internal mammary artery in stable angina patients with isolated single-vessel proximal left anterior descending artery (pLAD) disease.

Background: Long-term outcomes of second-generation PCI-DES and CABG in isolated pLAD lesions have not been extensively studied.

Methods: We included 631 PCI-DES patients and 379 CABG patients.

Inhibition of Aortic Valve Calcification by Local Delivery of Zoledronic Acid-an Experimental Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in an experimental model of aortic valve (AV) stenosis the effectiveness of zoledronate on the inhibition of calcification. Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were placed on vitamin D-enriched diet for 3 weeks. All animals underwent PET/CT at baseline and before euthanasia to assess calcification.

The -174 G>C Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Angiographic Progression of Coronary Artery Disease over a 4-Year Period.

Background: Inflammation is a key process underlying the clinical course of coronary artery disease (CAD). C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) contribute to its pathophysiology and act as biomarkers. We sought to examine whether known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) impact CAD progression, reflecting increased inflammation.

Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty refined: use of a novel modified antegrade approach.

Mitral stenosis usually occurs many years after an episode of rheumatic fever and it has an indolent course until its later stages, when it acutely worsens. The rates of mitral stenosis keep declining; nonetheless, the need for advanced and sophisticated treatment modalities still remains. Our group has been applying a novel modified antegrade approach for treating mitral valve stenosis and, although we have limited experience, the results thus far are favorable.

Late differences in outcomes of patients with stable angina and an isolated lesion in the proximal left anterior descending artery treated with new-generation drug-eluting stents.

Background: New-generation drug-eluting stents have demonstrated the mid-term efficacy and safety, but possible differences between stents may emerge in a long-term period. We compared long-term outcomes of patients with chronic stable angina and an isolated de-novo lesion in the proximal left anterior descending artery that underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with Endeavor-zotarolimus eluting stents (E-ZES) and everolimus eluting stents (EES).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 600 patients.