Effect of DASH vs. mediterranean diet accompanied by a salt restriction on metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with high normal blood pressure or grade 1 hypertension: secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Lifestyle interventions are recommended as the first-line treatment to control metabolic syndrome components and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, studies directly comparing the cardiometabolic effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) vs. the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) accompanied by salt restriction are currently lacking.

Cardiorenal multimorbidity in hospitalized cardiology patients: The Hellenic Cardiorenal Morbidity Snapshot (HECMOS) study.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease is commonly accompanied by renal dysfunction. Multimorbidity in hospitalized patients impacts unfavorably on prognosis and hospital stay. We aimed to illustrate the contemporary burden of cardiorenal morbidity across inpatient cardiology care in Greece.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and Blood Pressure Reduction in Adults with and without Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recognized as an effective dietary intervention to reduce blood pressure (BP). However, among randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the DASH diet-mediated BP reduction, there are significant methodological and clinical differences. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess the DASH diet effect on BP in adults with and without hypertension, accounting for underlying methodological and clinical confounders.

Predictors of switching from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to corticosteroids in patients with acute pericarditis and impact on clinical outcome.

Background: Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (A/NSAIDs) are the mainstay treatments for acute pericarditis. We sought to identify factors predicting failure of A/NSAIDs and switch to corticosteroid treatment (STCT) as well as the impact of STCT on pericarditis recurrence.

Methods: We enrolled 148 patients with acute pericarditis receiving A/NSAIDs (n=110) or corticosteroids (n=38) as first-line treatment according to clinical indications.

Hypertension and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Connecting the Dots.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (EF) (HFpEF) accounts for approximately 50% of HF cases and its prevalence relative to HF with reduced EF is rising. Hypertension (HT) is the most common co-morbidity in HFpEF patients and it is implicated in both the pathogenesis and the prognosis of the disease. Therefore, HT is a modifiable risk factor of high yield in HFpEF.

Expert consensus on the rational clinical use of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors.

Two proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, evolocumab and alirocumab, have recently been approved by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. These fully human monoclonal antibodies selectively block PCSK9, thus permitting the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor to effectively recycle to the surface of liver cells. The administration of these antibodies leads to robust LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering by 50-60% on top of maximum hypolipidemic treatment.

Left ventricle enlargement and increased systolic velocity in the mitral valve are indirect markers of the hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Background And Aims: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) has been associated with left atrial enlargement, but the presence of other markers of left and right diastolic and/or systolic cardiac dysfunction has not been clarified. We prospectively evaluated the possible associations between echocardiographical-Doppler findings and HPS.

Methods: Seventy-nine cirrhotic patients without endogenous heart or pulmonary disease were included.

Dietary antioxidant capacity is inversely associated with diabetes biomarkers: the ATTICA study.

Background And Aims: Elevated dietary antioxidant activity has been regarded as providing potential benefits to health. The present work aimed at evaluating the association of glycemic indices with total dietary antioxidant capacity in healthy adults.

Methods And Results: The ATTICA study consisted of men and women, randomly selected from all areas of Attica region in Greece.

Genetic polymorphism on endothelial nitric oxide synthase affects endothelial activation and inflammatory response during the acute phase of myocardial infarction.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effect of genetic polymorphism G894T on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS); on the risk for myocardial infarction (MI); and on the release of von Willebrand factor (vWF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1b, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) levels during the acute phase of MI and one year after the event.

Background: Genetic polymorphism G894T on eNOS has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, its role during the acute phase of MI is unknown.

Identification of patients with coronary artery disease by assessing diastolic abnormalities during isometric exercise.

Background: Previous clinical studies using invasive and noninvasive methods have shown handgrip-induced diastolic abnormalities in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to determine the utility of Doppler echo- and pressocardiography during hand-grip in discriminating patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and in those with normal coronary arteries.

Methods: Both methods were obtained in 96 patients with suspected CAD within 24 h before coronary angiography.

Increased temperature of malignant urinary bladder tumors in vivo: the application of a new method based on a catheter technique.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of any thermal difference between malignant tumors and inflammatory benign lesions of the human urinary bladder and to determine whether it correlates with tumor angiogenesis quantification.

Patients And Methods: A new method, developed in our institute, is introduced to detect temperature in human urinary bladder, in vivo. This method is based on a thermography catheter.