Publications by authors named "Evmorfia Aivalioti"
The implementation of speckle tracking echocardiography for cardiac resynchronization therapy optimisation. A rotational myocardial mechanics interpretation.
Echo Res Pract
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) enhances left ventricular function in heart failure patients, but its mechanisms remain partly unclear; this study aimed to investigate these mechanisms using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE).
- The study involved 46 patients who underwent CRT and evaluated their cardiac performance at baseline and post-CRT implementation through 2D-STE and a 6-minute walk test, observing a 48% response rate at 6 months, particularly in those with dilated cardiomyopathy.
- Optimizing CRT by adjusting the activation timing of the ventricular electrodes was found to significantly improve left ventricular function, with improvements in effective stroke volume and rotational mechanics serving as key indicators of successful therapy
Epidemiological evidence suggests the presence of common risk factors for the development and prognosis of both cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, heart, and peripheral vascular diseases. Accumulation of harmful blood signals may induce organotypic endothelial dysfunction affecting blood-brain barrier function and vascular health in age-related diseases. Genetic-, age-, lifestyle- or cardiovascular therapy-associated imbalance of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide metabolism in the brain and periphery may be the missing link between age-related neurocardiovascular diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Right ventricular (RV) involvement has been reported in one out of three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), however its prognostic significance remains unknown. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of RV involvement in patients with HCM through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed, ClinicalTrials.
Circulating amyloid-beta 1-40 (Αb40) has pro-atherogenic properties and could serve as a biomarker in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the association of Ab40 levels with morphological characteristics reflecting atherosclerotic plaque echolucency and composition is not available. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed in consecutively recruited individuals without ASCVD (n = 342) by ultrasonography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study investigates how remnant cholesterol (RC) levels relate to the risk of developing or relapsing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), finding that higher RC levels correlate with increased cardiovascular risks in both patients with and without pre-existing conditions.
- - Analyzing data from 29 studies involving over 257,000 participants, the findings reveal that directly measured RC levels more strongly predict the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) than calculated levels.
- - While lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) can lower RC levels, the clinical significance of this reduction in relation to ASCVD risk still requires further research to understand its impact.
Sepsis is a life-threatening clinical syndrome characterized by multiorgan dysfunction caused by a dysregulated or over-reactive host response to infection. During sepsis, the coagulation cascade is triggered by activated cells of the innate immune system, such as neutrophils and monocytes, resulting in clot formation mainly in the microcirculation, a process known as immunothrombosis. Although this process aims to protect the host through inhibition of the pathogen's dissemination and survival, endothelial dysfunction and microthrombotic complications can rapidly lead to multiple organ dysfunction.
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- The study investigates the effectiveness of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and carotid ultrasound in determining eligibility for cholesterol-lowering treatments, focusing on differences between men and women.
- It analyzes data from two Greek cohorts to estimate the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) using specific tools and identifies where carotid plaque and elevated hsCRP levels influence treatment eligibility.
- Results show that women initially have lower eligibility for treatment, but when accounting for carotid plaque and hsCRP, their eligibility significantly increases compared to men, highlighting the need for further research on treatment impacts in these populations.
Background: Remnant cholesterol (RC) is an emerging factor contributing to residual risk for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We aimed to investigate the association of RC with ASCVD in high ASCVD risk patients.
Methods: RC was calculated in 906 participants (178 low/moderate-risk and 728 high-risk) consecutively recruited from a vascular registry.
Aims: The clinical value of carotid atherosclerosis markers for residual risk stratification in high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk patients is not established. We aimed to derive and validate optimal values of markers of carotid subclinical atherosclerosis improving risk stratification in guidelines-defined high ASCVD risk patients.
Methods And Results: We consecutively analysed high or very high ASCVD risk patients from a cardiovascular (CV) prevention registry (n = 751, derivation cohort) and from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (n = 2,897, validation cohort).
Depression emerges as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is thought that successful antidepressant treatment may reduce such a risk. Therefore, antidepressant treatment embodies a potential preventive measure to reduce cardiovascular events in patients with depression. Accumulating evidence indicates that antidepressants have off-target effects on vascular dysfunction and in the early stages of atherosclerosis, which form the basis for cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gaining further insights into SARS-CoV-2 routes of infection and the underlying pathobiology of COVID-19 will support the design of rational treatments targeting the life cycle of the virus and/or the adverse effects (e.g., multi-organ collapse) that are triggered by COVID-19-mediated adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and/or other pathologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Accumulating evidence suggests that circulating amyloidβ 1-40 (Αβ1-40), a proatherogenic aging peptide, may serve as a novel biomarker in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to explore the role of plasma Αβ1-40 and its patterns of change over time in atherosclerosis progression in postmenopausal women, a population with substantial unrecognized CVD risk beyond traditional risk factors (TRFs).
Methods: In this prospective study, Αβ1-40 was measured in plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and atherosclerosis was assessed using carotid high-resolution ultrasonography at baseline and after a median follow-up of 28.
SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) infection has recently become a worldwide challenge with dramatic global economic and health consequences. As the pandemic is still spreading, new data concerning Covid-19 complications and related mechanisms become increasingly available. Accumulating data suggest that the incidence of cardiac arrest and its outcome are adversely affected during the Covid-19 period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Recent evidence in postmenopausal women suggested lack of association between serum levels of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and subclinical atherosclerosis; however, associations with arterial stiffness in this population remain unexplored. We evaluated the association among RBP4 and cardiovascular risk factors, including homocysteine, a marker involved in retinoic acid synthesis, and indices of arterial stiffness, in a sample of apparently healthy postmenopausal women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 123 healthy postmenopausal women, not on hormone therapy, antihypertensive, or hypolipidemic treatment and with a menopausal age 10 years or less.