Assessment of bleeding events in patients receiving DOACs with or without statins to treat venous thromboembolism: insights from the RIETE registry.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of coadministering statins with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) on the risk of major bleeding events in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Design: Observational cohort analysis based on a multicentre international registry.

Setting: Data were extracted from the Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbolica Registry, which involves 205 centres across 27 countries.

The Impact of Body Composition on Mortality and Hospital Length of Stay after Endovascular and Open Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Sarcopenia is an indicator of preoperative frailty and a patient-specific risk factor for poor prognosis in elderly surgical patients. Some studies have explored the prognostic significance of body composition parameters in relation to perioperative mortality after aortic repair and to mid- and long-term survival following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the effects of various body composition parameters, including but not limited to sarcopenia, on short- and long-term mortality as well as the length of hospital stay in two large cohorts of patients undergoing open surgical aortic repair (OSR) or EVAR.

Physical Activity and Urinary Sodium Excretion Circadian Rhythm: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Blood pressure (BP) is characterized by a circadian rhythm (Circr) with lower nighttime values, called dipping. Non-dipping is associated with higher CVD risk. The Circr of urinary sodium excretion (NaCle), peaking during the day, is linked to BP patterns.

A Population-Based Scoring System to Assess the Impact of Individual Risk Factors on Vascular Health.

Arterial stiffness is an indicator of vascular health, influenced by both pathological conditions and physiological determinants, noticeably age. Augmentation index (AI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are used among others to assess arterial stiffness. Several risk factors may contribute to pathologically increase arterial stiffness and produce early vascular aging.

Circadian Urinary Excretion of Water, and Not Salt, Is Affected by the White Coat Effect.

Hypertension is an important morbidity factor. The prognostic consequences of the white-coat effect have been studied extensively. The repercussion on the circadian rhythm of urinary water and salt excretion in the same subgroup remain, conversely, among the open topics.

A new score for improving cardiovascular risk prediction and prevention.

Background And Aims: The ultrasonographic detection of subclinical atherosclerosis (scATS) at carotid and femoral vascular sites using the atherosclerosis burden score (ABS) improves the risk stratification for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease beyond traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. However, its predictive value should be further enhanced. We hypothesize that combining the ABS and the Framingham risk score (FHRS) to create a new score called the FHRABS will improve CV risk prediction and prevention.

Hydrochlorothiazide and Prevention of Kidney-Stone Recurrence.

Background: Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common conditions affecting the kidney and is characterized by a high risk of recurrence. Thiazide diuretic agents are widely used for prevention of the recurrence of kidney stones, but data regarding the efficacy of such agents as compared with placebo are limited. Furthermore, dose-response data are also limited.

Does Ionized Magnesium Offer a Different Perspective Exploring the Association between Magnesemia and Targeted Cardiovascular Risk Factors?

Evidence of the association of magnesium (Mg) with arterial stiffness has so far been conflicting. The interplay between hypertension and elevated body mass index (BMI), with hypomagnesemia, instead, has been described in the literature in a more consistent way. Our study aims at revisiting the correlations between blood Mg levels and hemodynamic and body composition parameters in the general population, exploring the sensitivity profile of ionized Mg (Ion-Mg) compared to total Mg (Tot-Mg).

Association between Alcohol Intake and Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review.

Background: Arterial stiffness as assessed by Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) represents an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. Several dietary compounds and lifestyle factors could influence arterial stiffness. The debate on the significance of the correlation between alcohol consumption and arterial stiffness is still open, given that the relationship is complex and potentially affected by several factors such as alcohol type, consumption levels, gender and age differences.

[Vascular passport : a tool for secondary prevention among patients with peripheral artery disease].

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a major health problem in Switzerland, as myocardial infarction or stroke, all three sharing common cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and similar pathophysiological mechanisms (atherosclerosis). Unfortunately, PAD is still often overlooked, despite being fraught with significant morbidity/mortality and increasing the patient's overall CV risk. It is therefore essential to improve secondary prevention in order to decrease this burden and the overall CV risk of the patient.

[Screening for peripheral arterial disease : role of the primary care physician].

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a widespread disease with high impact on global health. While general population screening is not currently indicated, the primary care physician has the critical role of identifying asymptomatic patients who are particularly at risk for PAD and could therefore benefit from screening. In addition, he or she must recognize the typical and atypical clinical presentations of patients with symptomatic PAD to ensure proper diagnosis and care.

[Subclinical atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemia - Towards a personalized, shared decision-making cardiovascular prevention].

Identification of subjects at increased cardiovascular risk (CV) using traditional risk calculators is established. Nevertheless, up to 50% of CV events occur in people classified as intermediate risk. Non-invasive atherosclerosis (ATS) assessment with carotid/femoral US and coronary artery calcium score, offers the opportunity of a personalized prevention.

Habitual coffee and caffeinated beverages consumption is inversely associated with arterial stiffness and central and peripheral blood pressure.

The effects of chronic coffee consumption on the cardiovascular system are still under debate. Aortic stiffness, wave reflections, and central and peripheral blood pressure (BP) are milestone indicators of cardiovascular-risk. We sought to investigate the association between coffee and caffeine consumption, arterial stiffness, and central/peripheral BP.

Phase angle is associated with length of hospital stay, readmissions, mortality, and falls in patients hospitalized in internal-medicine wards: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of bioimpedance phase angle (PA) on selected clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized in internal-medicine wards.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 168 patients admitted to the internalmedicine service (52.9% women, 47.

Nutritional Risk Screening and Body Composition in COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized in an Internal Medicine Ward.

Background: Malnutrition in patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards is highly prevalent and represents a prognostic factor of worse outcomes. Previous evidence suggested the prognostic role of the nutritional status in patients affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aim to investigate the nutritional risk in patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in an internal medicine ward and their clinical outcomes using the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) and parameters derived from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

Arterial Stiffness and Central Hemodynamics are Associated with Low Diurnal Urinary Sodium Excretion.

Background: Excessive salt intake is an important determinant of cardiovascular (CV) health, impacting arterial stiffness and central blood pressure. However, sodium exhibits several patterns of excretion in urine during day- and night-time, which could differently affect CV risk. Here, we sought to explore the relationship between the day:night urinary sodium excretion ratio and arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics in the general population.

Consequences of Supraphysiological Dialysate Magnesium on Arterial Stiffness, Hemodynamic Profile, and Endothelial Function in Hemodialysis: A Randomized Crossover Study Followed by a Non-Controlled Follow-Up Phase.

Introduction: Increasing dialysate magnesium (D-Mg) appears to be an intriguing strategy to obtain cardiovascular benefits in subjects with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis. To date, however, hemodialysis guidelines do not suggest to increase D-Mg routinely set at 0.50 mmol/L.

Comparing oscillometric and tonometric methods to assess pulse wave velocity: a population-based study.

Background: Oscillometric pulse wave velocity (o-PWV) represents an attractive, non invasive and non operator-dependent method to estimate arterial stiffness. Tonometric carotid-femoral measurements (cf-PWV),are considered the gold-standard for non-invasive aortic stiffness assessment. To date, no studies in the general population comparing the two methods have been performed.

Impaired Daytime Urinary Sodium Excretion Impacts Nighttime Blood Pressure and Nocturnal Dipping at Older Ages in the General Population.

The circadian rhythm of urinary sodium excretion is related to the diurnal blood pressure regulation (BP) and the nocturnal dipping pattern. The renal sodium excretion expressed as daytime/nighttime ratio impacts BP, but a limited number of studies have investigated this topic to date. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the impact of different daily patterns of sodium excretion (comparing low with high ratios) on BP and nocturnal dipping and to explore the relationship with age.

Peer-pressure and overuse: The effect of a multimodal approach on variation in benzodiazepine prescriptions in a network of public hospitals.

Background: The epidemic phenomenon leading to a progressive increase in benzodiazepine prescriptions represents a challenge for healthcare systems. In the hospital setting, indicators of prescription variation and potential of overuse are lacking and are rarely monitored. Inter-hospital monitoring/benchmarking, via peer-pressure, can foster the motivation to change.

Unexpected Increase in Benzodiazepine Prescriptions Related to the Introduction of an Electronic Prescribing Tool: Evidence from Multicenter Hospital Data.

Electronic Prescribing tools (e-prescribing) have shown several benefits in terms of prescribing process adequacy and health care quality in hospital settings. We hypothesize however, that an undesired effect of digitalisation, due to the easier and faster prescribing process allowing patients to skip face-to-face conversations with patients and nurses, is that it could facilitate the prescription of medications at high risk of overuse or abuse, such as benzodiazepines (BZDs). We conducted a panel data study to investigate, the impact of the introduction of an e-prescribing system on new BZD prescriptions in hospitalised patients in a network of five teaching hospitals.

Flooding-Associated Soft Rot of Sweetpotato Storage Roots Caused by Distinct Isolates.

Flooding of sweetpotatoes in the field leads to development of soft rot on the storage roots while they remain submerged or on subsequent harvest and storage. Incidences of flooding after periods of intense rainy weather are on the rise in the southeastern United States, which is home to the majority of sweetpotato production in the nation. In an effort to characterize the causative agent(s) of this devastating disease, here we describe two distinct bacterial strains isolated from soft-rotted sweetpotato storage roots retrieved from an intentionally flooded field.

Association Between HDL Cholesterol and QTc Interval: A Population-Based Epidemiological Study.

Previous experimental studies showed that increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol shortens cardiac ventricular repolarization and the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc). However, little is known about the epidemiological relationship between HDL and QTc. The potential antiarrhythmic effect of HDL cholesterol remains a speculative hypothesis.

Comparative Impact of C-Reactive Protein Testing in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Respiratory Tract Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Evidence-based data on the usefulness of C-reactive protein (CRP) monitoring in patient outcomes are lacking. CRP testing in patients with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) showed wide variability between internal medicine wards in our hospital network. In this study we aimed to investigate whether repetitive CRP tests might influence the switch of antibiotic therapy from intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) route and whether CRP measurements affect the combined outcome of readmission and in-hospital mortality.