Prediction of cardiovascular events with aortic stiffness in patients with erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction confers an independent risk for cardiovascular events and total mortality. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an important predictor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. We investigated whether PWV predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with erectile dysfunction beyond traditional risk factors.

Pretreatment serum interleukin-12 levels in predicting sustained virological response among hepatitis C patients following Pegylated Interferon-α2β plus Ribavirin treatment.

Background: Dendritic cells activated by hepatitis C virus (HCV) produce high amounts of interleukin (IL)-12, considered to be associated with HCV clearance. The aim of this study was to investigate the IL-12 levels in HCV-infected patients, before and after the application of combination therapy with Pegylated Interferon-α2β plus Ribavirin.

Methods: Laboratory data of IL-12 levels and other clinical characteristics were selected from 26 HCV-infected patients.

A 6-month follow-up of intermittent levosimendan administration effect on systolic function, specific activity questionnaire, and arrhythmia in advanced heart failure.

Background: Levosimendan (LS) improves cardiac contractility without increasing myocardial oxygen demand. We administrated LS on a monthly intermittent 24-hour protocol and evaluated the clinical effect after 6 months in a randomized, open, prospective study.

Methods And Results: Fifty patients (age 45-65 years) with LV systolic dysfunction and New York Heart Association (NYHA) III or IV were randomized in 2 groups.

A comparison of the dietary and total intake of micronutrients in a group of pregnant Greek women with the Dietary Reference Intakes.

Objective: We compared the dietary and total (diet and supplement) intake of micronutrients with the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) from the USA in a population of pregnant Greek women.

Methods: Two hundred pregnant women participated in a nutritional survey, 98 in the second trimester and 102 in the third trimester in a random sampling. To examine dietary intake we used two questionnaires, the nutritional questionnaire for pregnant women from the California Department of Health Services, and a semi-quantitative questionnaire (Walter Willet) with modifications for use in Greece.