Effect of Colchicine vs Standard Care on Cardiac and Inflammatory Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019: The GRECCO-19 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection has evolved into a global pandemic. Low-dose colchicine combines anti-inflammatory action with a favorable safety profile.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of treatment with colchicine on cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Current management and quality of life of patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Greece: 12-Month results from antiplatelet therapy observational study II (APTOR II).

Introduction: We describe the current management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over 12 months in Greece.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study in ACS patients undergoing PCI from September 2008 to April 2009, capturing practices over 12 months at 22 sites that enrolled 558 eligible patients.

Results: A total of 351 patients suffered from unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (UA/ NSTEMI), while 207 patients suffered from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Serum levels of ischemia modified albumin in overweight/obese postmenopausal women: a potential biomarker of atherosclerotic burden associated with oxidative stress.

Objective: Menopause is associated with weight gain and an increase of cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present study was to estimate serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels in postmenopausal women and evaluate their association with body mass index (BMI) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: The study included 130 non-smoker postmenopausal women aged 43-80: 40 with BMI 26-32 kg/m(2) (Group A), 60 with BMI 21-25 kg/m(2) (Group B), and 30 with documented CAD and BMI 23-29 kg/m(2) (Group C).

Relation of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation to beta-blocker dose maximization guided by pacing mode analysis in nonpacemaker-dependent patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

We hypothesized that uptitration of β blockade and adjustment of pacing parameters to achieve a prevalence of single chamber atrial inhibited rate-responsive (AAIR) pacing in patients with dual-chamber implantable cardioverter--defibrillators (ICDs) would result in maximization of β-blocker dosage and thus decrease appropriate ICD therapies. We included patients with ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy and implanted ICDs without contraindications to β blockers and atrioventricular conduction disturbances. Two 6-month periods were compared: clinically guided phase (pacing function set at back-up dual-chamber rate-responsive pacing mode at a lower rate of about 40 beats/min) and pacing-guided phase, during which β-blocker dosage was titrated with a target of achieving >90% AAIR pacing (lower rate 60 beats/min).

Ischemia modified albumin, high-sensitivity c-reactive protein and natriuretic peptide in patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Ischemia modified albumin (IMA), is a new biomarker of oxidative processes involved with coronary artery disease (CAD). We determined serum IMA, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and evaluated their correlation with severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CA). Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), CK-MB mass, albumin and Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) were also evaluated.

Intracardiac echocardiography-facilitated ablation of a left-lateral bypass tract in a patient with atrial septal aneurysm.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has been used as an adjunctive tool during electrophysiological procedures, mainly to increase the safety of transseptal puncture. We present the case of a young patient with a left-lateral bypass tract and atrial septal aneurysm, in whom ICE delineated the underlying anatomy, excluded the presence of thrombus and facilitated access to the left atrium through a small atrial septal defect, avoiding the risk of needle puncture for interatrial septal crossing.

Epidemiological characteristics, management and early outcome of acute myocardial infarction in Greece: the HELlenic Infarction Observation Study.

Introduction: Taking into consideration the need for an updated survey on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Greece, we conducted the HELIOS study (HELlenic Infarction Observation Study), aiming to recruit a cohort of AMI patients that would be representative of the total AMI population.

Methods: The HELIOS study is a countrywide registry of AMI, conducted during 2005-2006 by the Prevention Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society. We enrolled 1840 AMI pts from 31 hospitals (mean age 68 +/- 13 years, 75% men, 1096 ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] patients), with a proportional representation of all types of hospitals and of all geographical areas.