[Cardiology. Rhythmology, hypertension, dyslipidemia and aortic diseases].

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common and its treatment is complex. The new European guidelines emphasize a patient-centered approach, considering the risk factors that contribute to AF and their management in primary and secondary prevention. Recent advances in electrophysiology include the development of new ablation techniques and the implantation of a leadless bicameral pacemaker.

[Erectile dysfunction in the hypertensive patient].

Hypertensive patients are frequently affected by erectile dysfunction (20-25%). This is often a manifestation of atherosclerosis, a systemic disease that itself requires management. Dietary measures and physical activity are beneficial for these patients.

[Unattended automated blood pressure measurement : a valuable tool for the physician].

Three main methods of blood pressure (BP) measurement are routinely used: office-based BP measures (OBPM), 24-hour ambulatory BP measures (ABPM), and home BP measures (HBPM). OBPM can lack precision, ABPM gives exhaustive information but is not comfortable, HBPM requires a device at home and the result is not immediate. The automated (unattended) office blood pressure measurement (AOBP) is a more recent method, simple to implement in the physician's office, permitting to largely avoid the white coat effect.

Neuro-functional modeling of near-death experiences in contexts of altered states of consciousness.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) including out-of-body experiences (OBEs) have been fascinating phenomena of perception both for affected persons and for communities in science and medicine. Modern progress in the recording of changing brain functions during the time between clinical death and brain death opened the perspective to address and understand the generation of NDEs in brain states of altered consciousness. Changes of consciousness can experimentally be induced in well-controlled clinical or laboratory settings.

Host-symbiont interactions in Angomonas deanei include the evolution of a host-derived dynamin ring around the endosymbiont division site.

The trypanosomatid Angomonas deanei is a model to study endosymbiosis. Each cell contains a single β-proteobacterial endosymbiont that divides at a defined point in the host cell cycle and contributes essential metabolites to the host metabolism. Additionally, one endosymbiont gene, encoding an ornithine cyclodeaminase (OCD), was transferred by endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) to the nucleus.

Life-course socioeconomic factors are associated with markers of epigenetic aging in a population-based study.

Adverse socioeconomic circumstances negatively affect the functioning of biological systems, but the underlying mechanisms remain only partially understood. Here, we explore the associations between life-course socioeconomic factors and four markers of epigenetic aging in a population-based setting. We included 684 participants (52 % women, mean age 52.

[A practitioner's perspective of the latest lipid guidelines].

The latest ESC recommendations propose several interesting new concepts for the practitioner. The recommendations distinguish between the «apparently healthy» patient and the patient at specific cardiovascular risk (diabetes, renal failure, and familial hypercholesterolemia). New risk calculation tools are proposed (SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP).

Silicon Cantilever for Micro/Nanoforce and Stiffness Calibration.

The paper deals with cantilevers made from monocrystalline silicon by processes of microtechnology. The cantilevers are passive structures and have no transducers. The application as a material measure for the inspection of stylus forces is in the center of investigations.

Optimized Treatment of Refractory Hypercholesterolemia in Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease or Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia With Alirocumab (OPTIMIZE).

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In confirmatory trials, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab substantially lowered LDL-C and reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the routine clinical use of alirocumab in Switzerland has not yet been studied.

Awareness and consciousness in humans and animals - neural and behavioral correlates in an evolutionary perspective.

Awareness or consciousness in the context of stimulus perception can directly be assessed in well controlled test situations with humans via the persons' reports about their subjective experiences with the stimuli. Since we have no direct access to subjective experiences in animals, their possible awareness or consciousness in stimulus perception tasks has often been inferred from behavior and cognitive abilities previously observed in aware and conscious humans. Here, we analyze published human data primarily on event-related potentials and brain-wave generation during perception and responding to sensory stimuli and extract neural markers (mainly latencies of evoked-potential peaks and of gamma-wave occurrence) indicating that a person became aware or conscious of the perceived stimulus.

Uncovering a Genetic Polymorphism Located in Huntingtin Associated Protein 1 in Modulation of Central Pain Sensitization Signaling Pathways.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread pain and increased sensitivity to nociceptive stimulus or tenderness. While familial aggregation could suggest a potential hereditary component in FMS development, isolation of genetic determinants has proven difficult due to the multi-factorial nature and complexity of the syndrome. Central sensitization is thought to be one of the key mechanisms leading to FMS in a subset of patients.

Increased glucocorticoid metabolism in diabetic kidney disease.

Aims: Glomerular damage indicated by proteinuria is a main symptom in diabetic nephropathy. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists (MRAs) are beneficial irrespective of aldosterone availability. Thus, we hypothesized an alternatively activated MR to promote glomerular damage in proteinuric diabetic nephropathy.

Silent brain infarcts impact on cognitive function in atrial fibrillation.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the association of clinically overt and silent brain lesions with cognitive function in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 1227 AF patients in a prospective, multicentre cohort study (Swiss-AF). Patients underwent standardized brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and after 2 years.

Changes of lipoprotein(a) levels with endogenous steroid hormones.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an LDL-like molecule that is likely causal for cardiovascular events and Lp(a) variability has been shown to be mostly of genetic origin. Exogenous hormones (hormone replacement therapy) seem to influence Lp(a) levels, but the impact of endogenous hormone levels on Lp(a) is still unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of endogenous steroid hormone metabolites on Lp(a).

Investigating the Relations Between Caffeine-Derived Metabolites and Plasma Lipids in 2 Population-Based Studies.

Objective: To investigate the relations between caffeine-derived metabolites (methylxanthines) and plasma lipids by use of population-based data from 2 European countries.

Methods: Families were randomly selected from the general population of northern Belgium (FLEMENGHO), from August 12, 1985, until November 22, 1990, and 3 Swiss cities (SKIPOGH), from November 25, 2009, through April 4, 2013. We measured plasma concentrations (FLEMENGHO, SKIPOGH) and 24-hour urinary excretions (SKIPOGH) of 4 methylxanthines-caffeine, paraxanthine, theobromine, and theophylline-using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Sex- and age-specific reference intervals for diagnostic ratios reflecting relative activity of steroidogenic enzymes and pathways in adults.

Objective: Diagnostic ratios calculated from urinary steroid hormone metabolites are used as a measure for the relative activity of steroidogenic enzymes or pathways in the clinical investigation of steroid metabolism disorders. However, population-based sex- and age-specific reference intervals and day-night differences in adults are lacking.

Methods: Sixty-five diagnostic ratios were calculated from steroid metabolites measured by GC-MS in day- and night-time and in 24-hour urine from 1128 adults recruited within the Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension (SKIPOGH), a population-based, multicenter cohort study.

Assessment of a strategy combining ambulatory blood pressure, adherence monitoring and a standardised triple therapy in resistant hypertension.

Purpose: Poor adherence to drug therapy and inadequate drug regimens are two frequent factors responsible for the poor blood pressure (BP) control observed in patients with apparent resistant hypertension. We evaluated the efficacy of an antihypertensive management strategy combining a standardised therapy with three long acting drugs and electronic monitoring of drug adherence in patients with apparent resistant hypertension.

Materials And Methods: In this multicentric observational study, adult patients with residual hypertension on 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABMP) despite the use of three or more antihypertensive drugs could be included.

Correction: Reference intervals for the urinary steroid metabolome: The impact of sex, age, day and night time on human adult steroidogenesis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: position paper by the European Society of Hypertension.

Hypertension constitutes a major risk factor for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFpEF is a prevalent clinical syndrome with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Specific guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for HFpEF is not established due to lack of positive outcome data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and limitations of available studies.

[Long-lasting LDL-C lowering: silence at last].

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is responsible for the degradation of the LDL-receptor. Inclisiran is a new synthetic interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) lowers LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the blood by using RNA silencing technology to reduce the production of PCSK9. Inclisiran administered subcutaneously at 0 and 3 months, and then every 6 months has been shown to reduce LDL-C by approximately 50 % in patients at high and very-high cardiovascular risk, or with a diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, but also in patients intolerant to statins.

Reduced adrenal stress response in patients on PCSK9 inhibitor therapy.

Background And Aims: Treatment with proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), in addition to statin therapy, reduces LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) in some patients to extremely low levels (i.e.< 20 mg/dl or < 0.