Role of epicardial adipose tissue NPR-C in acute coronary syndrome.

Background And Aims: It has been suggested that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thermogenesis plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD). Recent evidence indicates that natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) are critical for thermogenesis. We determined the expression and signaling of NPRs in EAT in the context of CAD progression and their association with brown fat-related genes, such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator alpha (PGC1α).

Use of Linagliptin for the Management of Medicine Department Inpatients with Type 2 Diabetes in Real-World Clinical Practice (Lina-Real-World Study).

The use of noninsulin antihyperglycaemic drugs in the hospital setting has not yet been fully described. This observational study compared the efficacy and safety of the standard basal-bolus insulin regimen versus a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (linagliptin) plus basal insulin in medicine department inpatients in real-world clinical practice. We retrospectively enrolled non-critically ill patients with type 2 diabetes with mild to moderate hyperglycaemia and no injectable treatments at home who were treated with a hospital antihyperglycaemic regimen (basal-bolus insulin, or linagliptin-basal insulin) between January 2016 and December 2017.

The importance of genotype-phenotype correlation in the clinical management of Marfan syndrome.

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a disorder of autosomal dominant inheritance, in which aortic root dilation is the main cause of morbidity and mortality. Fibrillin-1 (FBN-1) gene mutations are found in more than 90% of MFS cases. The aim of our study was to summarise variants in FBN-1 and establish the genotype-phenotype correlation, with particular interest in the onset of aortic events, in a broad population of patients with an initial clinical suspicion of MFS.

Expression of epicardial adipose tissue thermogenic genes in patients with reduced and preserved ejection fraction heart failure.

Epicardial adipose tissue has been proposed to participate in the pathogenesis of heart failure. The aim of our study was to assess the expression of thermogenic genes (Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), and PR-domain-missing 16 (PRDM16) in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with heart failure, stablishing the difference according to left ventricular ejection fraction (reduced or preserved). Among the 75 patients in our study, 42.

Expression of Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Proteins in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus: preliminary study.

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) genes are crucial in lipid biosynthesis and cardiovascular homeostasis. Their expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and their influence in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type-2 diabetes mellitus remain to be determined. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of SREBP genes in EAT in patients with CAD according to diabetes status and its association with clinical and biochemical data.

Long-term prognostic role of CA-125 in noncongestive patients undergoing a cardiac transplantation.

Aim: To evaluate the possible relationship between high levels of CA-125 and long-term prognosis in chronic heart failure patients after they undergo a cardiac transplantation (CT).

Materials & Methods: We retrospectively studied all patients who underwent a CT and had a previous determination of CA-125. Congestive patients and those whose survival was <1 year after CT were excluded.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with decreased PGC1α expression in epicardial adipose tissue of patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Although recent studies indicate that epicardial adipose tissue expresses brown fat-like genes, such as PGC1α, UCP1 and PRDM16, the association of these genes with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unknown.

Methods: PGC1α, UCP1, and PRDM16 mRNAs expression levels were measured by real-time PCR in epicardial and thoracic subcutaneous adipose tissue from 44 CAD patients (22 with DM2 [CAD-DM2] and 22 without DM2 [CAD-NDM2]) and 23 non-CAD patients (NCAD).

Results: The CAD-DM2 patients had significantly lower PGC1α and UCP1 expression in epicardial adipose tissue than the CAD-NDM2 and NCAD patients.

Infective endocarditis in patients with bicuspid aortic valve: Clinical characteristics, complications, and prognosis.

Introduction: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most frequent congenital cardiac disease. It is associated to a higher risk of cardiovascular complications, including infective endocarditis (IE).

Methods: Retrospective, observational and single centre study that included all patients with IE diagnosed between 1996 and 2014.

[Role of serum leptin in the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with stable angina].

Background And Objectives: Leptin is a plasmatic peptide hormone that has been related to cardiovascular homeostasis and atherosclerosis but much is still unknown about its relationship with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of serum leptin in patients with stable angina and its relationship with the severity of coronary disease.

Patients And Methods: 204 patients, 152 with stable angina (coronary artery disease group) and 52 without coronary disease excluded by cardiac computerized tomography (control group) were included.

Frequency of different electrocardiographic abnormalities in a large cohort of Spanish workers.

Aims: Our aim was to describe the electrocardiographic findings of a large sample of Spanish workers from several different employment sectors.

Methods And Results: Between May 2008 and November 2010, 13 495 consecutive 12-lead resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained during health examinations of working adults aged 16-74 years in 5 cities in different regions of Spain. Of those, 13 179 ECGs suitable for interpretation were included in this study.

Incidence and prognosis implications of long term left ventricular reverse remodeling in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) in dilated cardiomyopathy is poorly known within the context of current therapeutic approach. Our goal is to describe the present incidence of LVRR, the factors able to predict it and the long term prognosis of these patients.

Methods And Results: We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort or 387 consecutive outpatients.

Clinical impact of acute kidney injury on short- and long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the CoreValve prosthesis.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is associated with increased mortality, but few data exist on the occurrence and clinical impact of AKI associated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and prognosis of AKI after percutaneous implantation of the CoreValve(®) (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) prosthesis.

Methods: A total of 357 patients with severe aortic stenosis and 9 patients with pure native aortic regurgitation were treated with the CoreValve prosthesis.

Influence of a multidisciplinary alert strategy on mortality due to left-sided infective endocarditis.

Introduction And Objectives: Mortality from left-sided infective endocarditis remains very high. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a multidisciplinary alert strategy (AMULTEI), based on clinical, echocardiographic and microbiological findings, implemented in 2008 in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: Cohort study comparing our historical data series (1996-2007) with the number of patients diagnosed with left-sided endocarditis from 2008-2011 (AMULTEI).

[Relationship between cystatin C and coronary artery calcification in patients with intermediate cardiovascular risk].

Background And Objective: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbimortality in industrialized countries. Quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been shown to have an independent and incremental prognostic value over traditional risk factors for the prediction of mortality and cardiovascular events. The aim of our study was to determine the possible relationship between CAC and cystatin C (CTC).

Newly impaired glucose metabolism and prognosis after percutaneous revascularization.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend ad hoc screening of diabetes in patients admitted for macrovascular disease; however, these recommendations are rarely followed in real practice. This study was undertaken to assess whether impaired glucose metabolism, newly diagnosed after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or known diabetes, provides prognostic information.

Methods: We studied 374 patients who underwent PCI.