Publications by authors named "Greta Pascariello"

Objective: To estimate prevalence and incidence of thrombotic Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (PAPS) in the general population aged 18-49 years.

Methods: The study was carried out in Valtrompia, a valley in northern Italy, in 2011-2015. The identification of PAPS cases leveraged three integrated sources: 1) Rheumatology Unit at the University Hospital; 2) General Practitioners; 3) hospital discharge codes of patients admitted for thrombotic events.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: In the latest years an emerging interest has risen towards the role of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF) since the very first steps of the disease. Since the prevalent etiology of HF is ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), it is still not clear whether the connection with ED is linked to HF itself or to atherosclerosis. The aim is to determine the presence of ED in subjects with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) compared to ICM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Sacubitril/valsartan is known for its benefits in treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, but its impact on endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness was less explored in this study.
  • - In a study involving 15 patients, various noninvasive tests showed that while arterial stiffness parameters didn’t change significantly after 6 months, there was a notable improvement in endothelial function and other heart measures like ejection fraction and diastolic dysfunction.
  • - Despite some limitations, the findings suggest that sacubitril/valsartan positively affects heart function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy but does not significantly impact arterial stiffness over the studied period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lots of meta-analysis emphasize that a great number of hospitalized patients with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 developed acute myocardial damage, defined as an increase of cardiac biomarkers, such N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) and of all type of troponins. The highest mortality rate is related with progressively increasing biomarkers levels and with a history of cardiovascular disease. In fact, the biomarkers dosage should be considered as a prognostic marker in all patients with COVID-19 disease at admission, during hospitalization and in the case of clinical deterioration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

It has been widely reported that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) attaches human cells by using the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, but vascular impairment described during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is primarily due to the direct involvement of the endothelial cells by the virus or secondarily to the inflammatory host response is currently unknown. We therefore aimed to demonstrate in vivo the presence of endothelial dysfunction in six COVID-19 patients without cardiovascular risk factors or pre-existing cardiac condition, using the Endo-PAT 2000, a device able to measure endothelial vasodilation function in a rapid and non-invasive way. Four patients were positive for endothelial dysfunction, with RHI values between 1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to coagulopathy, even though pneumonia is the most prominent symptom, and the exact rate of thromboembolic events remains unclear.
  • Research highlights the role of a cytokine storm, driven by inflammatory markers, as a key factor in increased blood clotting risks for COVID-19 patients.
  • This review seeks to detail the epidemiology and biological mechanisms of hypercoagulability in COVID-19, while also offering prevention strategies for thromboembolic events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: COVID-19 may induce a coagulation dysregulation resulting in a prothrombotic state with a higher risk of arterial and venous thrombosis. This abnormal thrombotic diathesis can lead to pulmonary embolism, stroke, and intracardiac thrombosis.

Case Summary: We present two cases of unusual intracardiac thrombosis in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is mainly responsible for respiratory involvement but cardiac complications are also reported. Nevertheless, potential life-threatening conditions in young people have not been described. A 19-year-old male autistic patient was admitted with fever and cough.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Left ventricle thrombus is considered a rare complication of Takotsubo syndrome. However, both a stress condition predisposing to Takotsubo syndrome and coagulation abnormalities coexist in COVID-19. We describe a case of a patient with COVID-19 with Takotsubo syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 34-year-old man was admitted with acute lung injury and COVID-19 pneumonia. In the intensive care unit, he experienced episodes of prolonged asystole accompanied by hypotension without loss of consciousness. Once reversible causes were excluded, symptoms were related to dysfunction of the sinus node, and the patient underwent implantation of a pacemaker.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF