The spectrum of thyroid function tests during hospitalization for SARS COV-2 infection.

Objective: Alterations in thyroid function tests (TFTs) have been recorded during SARS-CoV-2 infection as associated to either a destructive thyroiditis or a non-thyroidal illness.

Methods: We studied 144 consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to a single center in intensive or subintensive care units. Those with previous thyroid dysfunctions or taking interfering drugs were excluded.

Platelet and Endothelial Activation as Potential Mechanisms Behind the Thrombotic Complications of COVID-19 Patients.

The authors hypothesized that the cytokine storm described in COVID-19 patients may lead to consistent cell-based tissue factor (TF)-mediated activation of coagulation, procoagulant microvesicles (MVs) release, and massive platelet activation. COVID-19 patients have higher levels of TF platelets, TF granulocytes, and TF MVs than healthy subjects and coronary artery disease patients. Plasma MV-associated thrombin generation is present in prophylactic anticoagulated patients.

Reverse ventricular remodeling and improved functional capacity after ventricular resynchronization in advanced heart failure.

Background: Ventricular resynchronization is a non-pharmacological treatment for advanced heart failure refractory to drug therapy and with intraventricular conduction delay. We describe the time course of echocardiographic and functional recovery after resynchronization in 31 patients (mean age 67 +/- 8 years).

Methods: We evaluated NYHA class, echocardiogram, respiratory function, and cardiopulmonary test before pacemaker implantation (baseline), after 1-3 months (short-term evaluation), and 10-15 months afterwards (long-term evaluation, n = 21 patients).

Assessment of overall blood pressure variability and its different components.

Blood pressure (BP) is characterized by continuous fluctuations, including fast changes lasting only a few seconds as well as slower and more prolonged variations, with a time constant of minutes or hours. Assessing the relative contribution of these different components to overall blood pressure variance is now possible through a number of mathematical approaches, either in the time or in the frequency domain (spectral analysis). Due to its complex nature, a precise and detailed assessment of blood pressure variability can be obtained only from the analysis of continuous, beat-by-beat, blood pressure recordings.

Daily life blood pressure changes are steeper in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects.

Target organ damage in hypertensive patients is related to their increased average blood pressure and greater 24-hour blood pressure variability. Whether the rate of blood pressure changes is also greater in hypertension, producing a greater stress on arterial walls, is not known, however. Our study aimed at addressing this issue by computer analysis of 24-hour ambulatory intra-arterial blood pressure recordings in 34 subjects (29 males), 13 normotensive subjects and 21 uncomplicated hypertensive subjects (mean age+/-SD, 40.