A snapshot global survey on side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare professionals and armed forces with a focus on headache.

Background: New messenger RNA (mRNA) and adenovirus-based vaccines (AdV) against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have entered large scale clinical trials. Since healthcare professionals (HCPs) and armed forces personnel (AFP) represent a high-risk category, they act as a suitable target population to investigate vaccine-related side effects, including headache, which has emerged as a common complaint.

Methods: We investigated the side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines among HCPs and AFP through a 38 closed-question international survey.

A randomized trial comparing the acute coronary, systemic, and environmental effects of electronic vaping cigarettes versus heat-not-burn cigarettes in smokers of combustible cigarettes undergoing invasive coronary assessment: rationale and design of the SUR-VAPES 3 trial.

Background: Traditional combustible cigarette (TCC) smoking remains a major cause of preventable cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Modified risk products (MRP) such as electronic vaping cigarettes (EVC) and heat-not-burn cigarettes (HNBC) may be safer than TCC but may still have detrimental oxidative, platelet and vascular effects of particular importance to people with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We aimed to compare the acute coronary, systemic and environmental effects of two leading MRP in 20 TCC smokers admitted for invasive coronary assessment of CAD and willing to quit or after prior failed quitting attempts.

An overview of cycling as active transportation and as benefit for health.

Active transportation is defined as travelling on foot, by bicycle or other non-motorized means, sometimes in combination with other forms of public transportation, in contrast with the use of motor vehicles. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity is a growing epidemic in most developed countries that spread over the last three decades; active transportation may be a promising approach to increase physical activity and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health. The health benefits of physical activity in reducing mortality and morbidity have been proved by several publications.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for critically ill patients with coronavirus-associated disease 2019: an updated perspective of the European experience.

Background: Infection due to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), i.e. coronavirus-associated disease 2019 (COVID-2019), may occasionally lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), requiring in the most severe cases extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Rac1 Pharmacological Inhibition Rescues Human Endothelial Dysfunction.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction contributes significantly to the development of vascular diseases. However, a therapy able to reduce this derangement still needs to be identified. We evaluated the effects of pharmacological inhibition of Rac1, a small GTPase protein promoting oxidative stress, in human endothelial dysfunction.

What We Learned with Recent Network Meta-analyses on Atherosclerosis Prevention and Treatment.

Purpose Of Review: The management of atherosclerosis requires a complex integration of the knowledge on its pathophysiology, patient values, and the synthesis of the global scientific evidence informing on its prevention and treatment. Novel statistical methods such as umbrella reviews and network meta-analyses (NMAs) offer a unique opportunity for integrating different sources of evidence stemming from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or internally valid observational studies. We aimed to provide an updated perspective on the most important contributions of recent network meta-analyses on atherosclerosis prevention and treatment.

Β-blockers treatment of cardiac surgery patients enhances isolation and improves phenotype of cardiosphere-derived cells.

Β-blockers (BB) are a primary treatment for chronic heart disease (CHD), resulting in prognostic and symptomatic benefits. Cardiac cell therapy represents a promising regenerative treatment and, for autologous cell therapy, the patients clinical history may correlate with the biology of resident progenitors and the quality of the final cell product. This study aimed at uncovering correlations between clinical records of biopsy-donor CHD patients undergoing cardiac surgery and the corresponding yield and phenotype of cardiospheres (CSs) and CS-derived cells (CDCs), which are a clinically relevant population for cell therapy, containing progenitors.

Acute Impact of Tobacco vs Electronic Cigarette Smoking on Oxidative Stress and Vascular Function.

Background: The vascular safety of electronic cigarettes (e-Cigarettes) must still be clarified. We compared the impact of e-Cigarettes vs traditional tobacco cigarettes on oxidative stress and endothelial function in healthy smokers and nonsmoker adults.

Methods: A crossover, single-blind study was performed in 40 healthy subjects (20 smokers and 20 nonsmokers, matched for age and sex).

Recent Developments in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Evolution or Revolution?

Intraluminal aortic clamping has been achieved until now by means of a sophisticated device consisting of a three-lumen catheter named Endoclamp, which allows at the same time occlusion of the aorta, antegrade delivering of cardioplegia, and venting through the aortic root. This tool has shown important advantages allowing aortic occlusion and perfusate delivering without a direct contact with ascending aorta reducing meanwhile the risk of traumatic and/or iatrogenic injuries. Recently, a new device (Intraclude catheter) with the same characteristics and properties has been proposed and introduced in clinical practice.

An International Survey on Taking Up a Career in Cardiovascular Research: Opportunities and Biases toward Would-Be Physician-Scientists.

Background: Cardiovascular research is the main shaper of clinical evidence underpinning decision making, with its cyclic progression of junior researchers to mature faculty members. Despite efforts at improving cardiovascular research training, several unmet needs persist. We aimed to appraise current perceptions on cardiovascular research training with an international survey.

State of the Art on the Evidence Base in Cardiac Regenerative Therapy: Overview of 41 Systematic Reviews.

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive appraisal of the evidence from secondary research on cardiac regenerative therapy.

Study Design And Setting: Overview of systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials concerning stem cell administration or mobilization in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Results: After a systematic database search, we short-listed 41 reviews (660 patients).

Drug-coated balloon dilation before carotid artery stenting of post-carotid endarterectomy restenosis.

Purpose: To investigate if drug-coated balloon (DCB) predilation may improve the efficacy of carotid artery stenting (CAS) for restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients (11 men; median age 75 years) with significant restenosis within 24 months of CEA were treated with a paclitaxel-coated DCB prior to CAS. Clinical outcomes and stent patency were systematically appraised.

New insights into the steen solution properties: breakthrough in antioxidant effects via NOX2 downregulation.

Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) allows perfusion and reconditioning of retrieved lungs for organ transplantation. The Steen solution is specifically designed for this procedure but the mechanism through which it elicits its activity is still to be fully clarified. We speculated that Steen solution may encompass antioxidant properties allowing a reestablishment of pulmonary tissue homeostasis.

Total adiponectin is inversely associated with platelet activation and CHA₂DS₂-VASc score in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Adiponectin (APN) possesses anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic effects. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is burdened by enhanced systemic inflammation and platelet activation, as documented by increased blood levels of soluble CD40L (sCD40L). The interplay between APN and platelet activation in AF is still undefined.

A novel closed-chest porcine model of chronic ischemic heart failure suitable for experimental research in cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac pathologies are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in industrialized countries, with myocardial infarction (MI) representing one of the major conditions leading to heart failure (HF). Hitherto, the development of consistent, stable, and reproducible models of closed-chest MI in large animals, meeting the clinical realism of a patient with HF subsequent to chronic ischemic necrosis, has not been successful. We hereby report the design and ensuing application of a novel porcine experimental model of closed-chest chronic ischemia suitable for biomedical research, mimicking post-MI HF.

Risk of stroke with percutaneous coronary intervention compared with on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Evidence from a comprehensive network meta-analysis.

Background: Although some trials have reported that on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery may be associated with higher rates of stroke than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), whether stroke is more common after off-pump CABG compared with PCI is unknown. We therefore sought to determine whether off-pump CABG is associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with PCI by means of network meta-analysis.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CABG vs PCI were searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases, and proceedings of international meetings.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in nonagenarians: pros and cons.

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a mainstay in the management of symptomatic or high-risk coronary artery disease. The bulk of clinical evidence and experience underlying this fact relies, however, on relatively young patients. Indeed, few data of very limited quality are available which adequately define the risk-benefit and cost-benefit profile of coronary angioplasty and stenting in very old subjects, such as those of 90 years of age or older (i.