Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) relationship in patients with chronic or stabilized acute coronary syndromes.

Aims: To investigate the influence of index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) on fractional flow reserve (FFR) and adenosine-induced hyperemia (ΔPd/Pa-FFR) in patients with chronic (CCS) or stabilized acute coronary syndromes (ACS), utilizing various IMR threshold values.

Methods: Data were extracted from two ongoing Italian registries involving patients with CCS or stabilized ACS who underwent a #FullPhysiology approach [Pd/Pa, FFR, IMR, coronary flow reserve (CFR)] by bolus thermodilution technique in the left anterior descending artery. Correlations between IMR and both FFR and ΔPd/Pa-FFR were analyzed both globally and within three IMR-defined groups: Group 1 (IMR <25), Group 2 (25 ≤ IMR <40), and Group 3 (IMR ≥40).

Management, Flow, and Outcomes of Patients with Aortic Stenosis Followed by a Heart Valve Clinic: The Untold "Behind the Scene" from a High-Volume, Real-World Experience.

According to current guidelines, patients with heart valve disease should be followed by Heart Valve Clinics (HVCs). Regular quality analysis is a major prerequisite of an HVC's program, but few data have been reported so far. We retrospectively collected patients with isolated, native aortic valve stenosis who had been visited in our HVC at least once between 2021 and 2024.

Regional disparities in the management and outcomes of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an Italian analysis focusing on time-dependent reperfusion networks and in-hospital logistics.

Background: Prompt reperfusion is critical for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) to improve outcomes. Yet, variability in regional healthcare delivery may influence treatment times and patient outcomes. We thus aimed at evaluating differences in management and outcomes of STEMI patients across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, focusing on time-dependent reperfusion and in-hospital logistics.

Circulating Proneurotensin Levels Predict Impaired Bone Mineralisation in Postmenopausal Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Context: The mechanisms underlying bone fragility and increased fracture risk observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are not yet fully elucidated. Previous research has suggested a role for neuropeptides in regulating bone metabolism; however, the contribution of the neuropeptide Neurotensin (NT), which is thoroughly implicated in T2D and cardiovascular disease, has not been investigated in this context.

Objective: To study the relationship between circulating levels of the NT precursor proneurotensin (proNT) and bone mineralisation in T2D women.