Acute Changes in Myocardial Work during Isometric Exercise in Hypertensive Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Case-Control Study.

The acute hemodynamic response to isometric exercise in hypertensive patients' ischemic heart disease (IHD) has been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess acute changes in left ventricular myocardial work (MW) during isometric bilateral knee extension in patients with IHD. Twenty stable hypertensive patients with IHD and ten healthy, age-matched controls (HC) were enrolled.

High-Density Lipoprotein-Associated Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) and Scavenger Receptor Class B Type 1 (SRB-1) in Coronary Artery Disease: Correlation with Disease Severity.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. High-Density lipoprotein (HDL) is a well-established marker associated with CAD. The current research goes beyond the conventional HDL-C measurement in previous studies and dives into the functional intricacies of HDL.

Addition of Bempedoic Acid to Statin-Ezetimibe versus Statin Titration in Patients with High Cardiovascular Risk: A Single-Centre Prospective Study.

Reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) below recommended thresholds is a core component of cardiovascular prevention strategies. We hypothesized that the addition of bempedoic acid to patients already on statin-ezetimibe therapy was more effective than titrating the statin dose in reducing LDL-C. The study enrolled 120 patients at high cardiovascular risk and with LDL-C above 70 mg/dL.

Implementing fencing as adapted physical activity in non-metastatic breast cancer patients: design and early rehabilitation strategy of the FENICE study protocol.

Background: Improving prognosis of BC patients has drawn the attention of health care professionals on disease related long-term side effects and on the multiple treatments BC patients must undergo. Despite advances in procedures, surgery still has multiple detrimental effects, including pain, edema, and limited mobility. For this reason, fostering adapted physical activity (APA) and healthy lifestyle (including a balanced diet and weight management) should become an everyday purpose of healthcare professionals.

Exercise training for patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. A narrative review.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains a significant global health challenge, accounting for up to 50% of all heart failure cases and predominantly affecting the elderly and women. Despite advancements in therapeutic strategies, HFpEF's complexity poses substantial challenges in management, particularly due to its high comorbidity burden, including renal failure, atrial fibrillation, and obesity, among others. These comorbidities not only complicate the pathophysiology of HFpEF but also exacerbate its symptoms, necessitating a personalized approach to treatment focused on comorbidity management and symptom alleviation.

The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cognitive and Physical Skills in Basketball and Soccer Players.

As athletes pursue excellence, training techniques continue to advance, making structured physical activity an essential tool for enhancing performance. To optimize athletic performance in modern competitive sports, the balance of physical performance and mental clarity is required. This study seeks to examine the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on cognitive and physical skills in basketball and soccer players.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Professional Football Players during Competitive Season of Italian First Division (Serie A).

Background: Data in the literature have demonstrated the crucial role that vitamin D plays in the human organism, and recent studies also emphasize this essential role of vitamin D in athletes. Indeed, vitamin D acts on the skeletal muscles and plays a fundamental role in numerous physiological processes involved in immune function. Many factors such as sun exposure, skin tone, body mass index and chronic illness affect vitamin D levels.

Changes in left atrial function following two regimens of combined exercise training in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy: a pilot study.

Purpose: Left atrial dysfunction has shown to play a prognostic role in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and is becoming a therapeutic target for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The effects of exercise training on the atrial function in patients with ICM have been poorly investigated. In the present study, we assessed the effects of a 12-week combined training (CT) program on the left atrial function in patients with ICM.

Exploring the interplay between metabolic power and equivalent distance in training games and official matches in soccer: a machine learning approach.

This study aimed to explore the interplay between metabolic power (MP) and equivalent distance (ED) and their respective roles in training games (TGs) and official soccer matches. Furthermore, the secondary objective was to investigate the connection between external training load (ETL), determined by the interplay of metabolic power and equivalent distance, and internal training load (ITL) assessed through HR-based methods, serving as a measure of criterion validity. Twenty-one elite professional male soccer players participated in the study.

Acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise in humans: a look from the autonomic nervous system window.

The objective of this review was to give an overview on the current knowledge on the neural mechanisms of cardiovascular regulation during acute exercise and the autonomic adaptations brought about by chronic exercise, that is, exercise training. Evidence derived mainly from human studies, which supports the contribution of the different control mechanisms, namely the centralcommand, the reflex drive from active muscles and the arterial baroreflex, with the attendant modifications in autonomic nervous system activity, in determining the acute cardiovascular responses to exercise are discussed, along with some controversial issues and evolving concepts in exercise physiology. In particular, data that show how the various neural mechanisms involved in cardiovascular regulation during exercise are differently modulated by factors related to the muscular activity being performed, such as the type and intensity of exercise and the size of the active muscle masses are presented, stressing the plasticity of the neural network.

Acute Changes on Left Atrial Function during Incremental Exercise in Patients with Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Case-Control Study.

Background: the aim of this study was to assess acute changes in left atrial (LA) function during incremental aerobic exercise in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) in comparison to healthy subjects (HS).

Methods: twenty patients with established HFmrEF were compared with 10 HS, age-matched controls. All subjects performed a stepwise exercise test on a cycle ergometer.

The Role of Multimodality Imaging in Pediatric Cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases representing the first cause of heart transplantation in children. Diagnosing and classifying the different phenotypes can be challenging, particularly in this age group, where cardiomyopathies are often overlooked until the onset of severe symptoms. Cardiovascular imaging is crucial in the diagnostic pathway, from screening to classification and follow-up assessment.

The Improvement of Left Atrial Function after Twelve Weeks of Supervised Concurrent Training in Patients with Heart Failure with Mid-Range Ejection Fraction: A Pilot Study.

Left atrial dysfunction is associated with exercise intolerance and poor prognosis in heart failure (HF). The effects of exercise training on atrial function in patients with HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) are unknown. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a supervised concurrent training (SCT) program, lasting 12 weeks, on left atrial function of patients with HFmrEF.

The Autonomic Coumel Triangle: A New Way to Define the Fascinating Relationship between Atrial Fibrillation and the Autonomic Nervous System.

Arrhythmogenic substrate, modulating factors, and triggering factors (the so-called Coumel's triangle concept) play a primary role in atrial fibrillation (AF) pathophysiology. Several years have elapsed since Coumel and co-workers advanced the concept of the relevance of autonomic nervous system (ANS) influences on atrial cells' electrophysiological characteristics. The ANS is not only associated with cardiac rhythm regulation but also exerts an important role in the triggering and maintenance of atrial fibrillation.

Anticoagulation for Left Ventricle Thrombus-Case Series and Literature Review for Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants.

Left ventricular thrombus is a known complication following acute myocardial infarction that can lead to systemic thromboembolism. To obviate the risk of thromboembolism, the patient needs anticoagulation in addition to dual antiplatelet therapy. However, combining antiplatelets with anticoagulants substantially increases the bleeding risk.

Effects of Concurrent, Within-Session, Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Training on Functional Capacity and Muscle Performance in Elderly Male Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: The best format of exercise training (ET) in the setting of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is still to be defined. Current guidelines recommend aerobic exercises, such as running and cycling, including some sessions per week of resistance exercise.

Aim: The aim of this study was to address the effectiveness of a concurrent exercise training program utilizing a circuit of sequential endurance and resistance exercises on functional capacity and muscular strength in patients with CHF.

Lipid Profile and Small Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: Relationships to Demographic, Clinical, Angiographic, and Therapeutic Variables.

Background: Several lines of evidence have supported small dense low-density lipoproteins (sd-LDL) as a marker of cardiovascular disease. The present study assessed the relationship between lipid profile and sd-LDL levels with demographic, clinical, angiographic, and therapeutic variables in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Methods: This was a single-centre, prospective, cross-sectional study conducted from September 2014 to September 2015.

Concurrent Aerobic Plus Resistance Training Elicits Different Effects on Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability of Hypertensive Patients in Relation to Their Nocturnal Blood Pressure Pattern.

: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week concurrent training (CT) (i.e., aerobic plus resistance exercise) on short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) and BP values in hypertensive patients with non-dippper BP nocturnal pattern and underlying coronary artery disease.

Towards a More Individually Tailored Exercise Prescription for Promoting Cardiovascular Health.

The beneficial effects of exercise training (ET) in promoting cardiovascular health have been well established [...

Relationship between aerobic fitness and metabolic power metrics in elite male soccer players.

The aim was to assess the relationship between aerobic fitness and metabolic power metrics in elite male soccer players, and the possible differences that playing positions might impose during match play over new metabolic power metrics. Sixty-two elite professional male soccer players (13 central backs, 13 side backs, 22 midfielders, and 14 forwards) took part in the study. Players were monitored during eleven months of full training (including pre-season and in-season) and over all official matches (Serie A matches, Italy Cup matches).

Complementary Role of Combined Indirect and Direct Cardiac Sympathetic (Hyper)Activity Assessment in Patients with Heart Failure by Spectral Analysis of Heart Rate Variability and Nuclear Imaging: Possible Application in the Evaluation of Exercise Training Effects.

In chronic heart failure (CHF), abnormalities in cardiac autonomic control, characterized by sympathetic overactivity, contribute to the progression of the disease and are associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Assessing cardiac autonomic status is clinically important in the management of patients with CHF. To this aim, heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has been extensively used as a non-invasive tool for assessing cardiac autonomic regulation, and has been shown to predict the clinical outcome in patients with CHF.

Effects of Concurrent Aerobic Plus Resistance Training on Blood Pressure Variability and Blood Pressure Values in Patients with Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease: Gender-Related Differences.

The purpose of this study was to compare changes in blood pressure variability (BPV) and blood pressure (BP) values occurring in response to concurrent training (CT) between the two genders. A total of 35 males and 20 women aged 55-80 years, with hypertension and coronary artery disease, were included. They underwent a 12-week CT program.

Acute Left Atrial Response to Different Eccentric Resistance Exercise Loads in Patients with Heart Failure with Middle Range Ejection Fraction: A Pilot Study.

In this study, we aimed to assess acute changes occurring on atrial function following single bouts of eccentric resistance exercise (ECC-RE) performed at two different loads. Twenty-five patients with chronic heart failure with middle range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) participated in three experimental sessions in a randomized order and on separate days: two sessions of ECC RE at 20% (ECC-20) of one-repetition maximum (1-RM) and 50% (ECC-50) 1-RM, and one session of control, without exercise. Each session lasted three minutes.

Return to Play after SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Competitive Athletes of Distinct Sport Disciplines in Italy: A FMSI (Italian Federation of Sports Medicine) Study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 can lead to several systemic complications, including myocardial injuries; these might be worsened by heavy physical activity. The optimal approach to cardiac risk stratification following SARS-CoV-2 infection in athletes for a safe return to play (RTP) still needs defining. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of abnormal RTP test results, according to the protocol of Italian Federation of Sport Medicine (FMSI), which was endorsed by the Italian Ministry of Health, potentially representing COVID-19-associated cardiac injuries.