2025 Expert Consensus Recommendations for the Diagnostic Requirements in Routine Practices of Transthoracic Echocardiography.

Transthoracic echocardiography plays a crucial role in clinical diagnosis and is increasingly being used around the world. Comprehensive echocardiographic examinations require accurate measurements and the operators to have excellent technical skills. Despite the availability of several published echocardiographic guidelines, the absence of recommended operational manuals in daily practice has resulted in significant variation in the content of echocardiography reports across different medical institutions.

Trends and Changes in Intensive Care Use for Patients With Heart Failure in the Last Month of Life.

A good death is a human right. Unfortunately, patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in the terminal stage still receive inappropriate life-sustaining treatment before death. There is limited understanding of the status of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation (MV), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and even extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with CHF before death, as well as their use of hospice-related services.

Female showed favorable left ventricle hypertrophy regression during post-TAVR follow-up.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a well-established procedure using a catheter-introduced valve prosthesis for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). This retrospective study investigated sex-related differences in pre- and post-TAVR clinical and hemodynamic outcomes and analyzed data of the first 100 cases at Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital (KMUH) between December 2013 and December 2021. Baseline characteristics, procedural outcomes, mortality rates, and echocardiographic parameters were analyzed and compared between sexes.

Up-regulated small-conductance calcium-activated potassium currents contribute to atrial arrhythmogenesis in high-fat feeding mice.

Aims: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality. Arrhythmogenesis in MetS results from atrial structural and electrical remodelling. The small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) currents modulate atrial repolarization and may influence atrial arrhythmogenicity.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Mediates Bradyarrhythmia in Leigh Syndrome Mitochondrial Disease Mice.

Mitochondrial oxidative stress has been implicated in aging and several cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation. The role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in bradyarrhythmia is less clear. Mice with a germline deletion of Ndufs4 subunit respiratory complex I develop severe mitochondrial encephalomyopathy resembling Leigh Syndrome (LS).

Association of lipid composition and unsaturated fatty acids of VLDL with atrial remodeling in metabolic syndrome.

Subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) commonly have atrial remodeling, which indicates a risk for atrial fibrillation. This study determined MetS-related changes in lipid components in very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), which has been shown to cause atrial remodeling, the effect of statins on these changes, and the correlation between atrial remodeling and VLDL lipid compositions. Blood samples were collected from 12 non-MetS and 27 sex- and age-matched MetS subjects.

Spondyloarthritis and nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis as paraneoplastic manifestations in treatment-naive Burkitt lymphoma.

Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthropathy (nr-axSpA) is a clinical diagnosis of symptoms matching inflammatory back pain criteria without radiological lesions at the sacroiliac joint. The frequency of an early nr-axSpA-like presentation in lymphoma patients has not been clarified. Here we report a woman in her 20s with a fever and musculoskeletal discomfort.

Spotlight on very-low-density lipoprotein as a driver of cardiometabolic disorders: Implications for disease progression and mechanistic insights.

Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) is the only lipoprotein containing apolipoprotein B that is secreted from the liver, where VLDL is assembled from apolipoproteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The primary function of VLDL is to transport cholesterol and other lipids to organs and cells for utilization. Apart from its role in normal biologic processes, VLDL is also known to contribute to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

An artificial intelligence approach for predicting cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline.

Although anti-cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity is known, until now it lacks a reliable risk predictive model of the subsequent cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline therapy. An artificial intelligence (AI) with a machine learning approach has yet to be applied in cardio-oncology. Herein, we aimed to establish a predictive model for differentiating patients at a high risk of developing cardiotoxicity, including cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) and symptomatic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

QTc Interval is Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome Phenotype.

Purpose: Manifestations of metabolic syndrome (MetS) carry risks for atrial fibrillation (AF). The study determined whether any electrocardiographic parameter can reflect increased AF risk in individuals with MetS.

Patients And Methods: From our University Hospital database, we examined the presence of AF and its correlation with MetS manifestations, renal function, lipid profiles, and electrocardiographic parameters (P wave duration, PR interval, QRS width, and QTc intervals).

Exploiting exercise electrocardiography to improve early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation with deep learning neural networks.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of sustained arrhythmia. It results from abnormal irregularities in the electrical performance of the atria, and may cause heart thrombosis, stroke, arterial disease, thromboembolism, and heart failure. Prior to the onset of atrial fibrillation, most people experience atrial cardiomyopathy which, if effectively managed, can be prevented from progressing to atrial fibrillation.

Skin sympathetic nerve activity and ventricular arrhythmias in acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is major cause of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden death. neuECG is a noninvasive method to simultaneously record skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) and electrocardiogram.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that (1) ACS increases average SKNA (aSKNA), (2) the magnitude of aSKNA elevation is associated with VAs during ACS, and (3) there is a gender difference in aSKNA between patients without and with ACS.

Development and validation of the oral presentation evaluation scale (OPES) for nursing students.

Background: Oral presentations are an important educational component for nursing students and nursing educators need to provide students with an assessment of presentations as feedback for improving this skill. However, there are no reliable validated tools available for objective evaluations of presentations. We aimed to develop and validate an oral presentation evaluation scale (OPES) for nursing students when learning effective oral presentations skills and could be used by students to self-rate their own performance, and potentially in the future for educators to assess student presentations.

Emerging Evidence of Pathological Roles of Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL).

Embraced with apolipoproteins (Apo) B and Apo E, triglyceride-enriched very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) is secreted by the liver into circulation, mainly during post-meal hours. Here, we present a brief review of the physiological role of VLDL and a systemic review of the emerging evidence supporting its pathological roles. VLDL promotes atherosclerosis in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Long-Term High-Fat Diet Consumption Depletes Glial Cells and Tyrosine Hydroxylase-Containing Neurons in the Brain of Middle-Aged Rats.

Epidemiologic studies have indicated that dyslipidemia may facilitate the progression of neuronal degeneration. However, the effects of chronic dyslipidemia on brain function, especially in older individuals, remain unclear. In this study, middle-aged 37-week-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed a normal diet (ND) or a 45% high-fat diet (HFD) for 30 weeks (i.

The relationship between spiritual health, health-promoting behaviors, depression and resilience: A longitudinal study of new nurses.

Aim: To determine if levels of spiritual health, health-promoting behaviors, depressive symptoms and resilience change over time and determine if any variables have an impact on resilience among new nurses.

Background: Nurses provide patients with medical care and emotional support in high-stress environments. Resilience is a characteristic that allows one to adjust to these adverse situations.

Electronegative very-low-density lipoprotein induces brain inflammation and cognitive dysfunction in mice.

Epidemiologic studies have indicated that dyslipidemia may facilitate the progression of cognitive dysfunction. We previously showed that patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) had significantly higher plasma levels of electronegative very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) than did healthy controls. However, the effects of electronegative-VLDL on the brain and cognitive function remain unclear.

Permissive Modulation of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate-Enhanced Intracellular Calcium on BK Channel of Chromaffin Cells.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), is a signaling sphingolipid which acts as a bioactive lipid mediator. We assessed whether S1P had multiplex effects in regulating the large-conductance Ca-activated K channel (BK) in catecholamine-secreting chromaffin cells. Using multiple patch-clamp modes, Ca imaging, and computational modeling, we evaluated the effects of S1P on the Ca-activated K currents () in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and in a pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12).

A spiritual education course to enhance nursing students' spiritual competencies.

The study aimed to determine the impact of an elective spiritual education course for nursing students on spiritual competencies. A convenience sample of nursing students (N = 92) was recruited from a baccalaureate school of nursing between February and July 2016. The intervention group (n = 45) was comprised of students enrolled in the elective spiritual education course which integrated non-Christian Eastern cultural beliefs; the control group was comprised of students not enrolled in the elective (n = 47).

The role of postprandial very-low-density lipoprotein in the development of atrial remodeling in metabolic syndrome.

Background: Negatively charged very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-χ) in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients exerts cytotoxic effects on endothelial cells and atrial myocytes. Atrial cardiomyopathy, manifested by atrial remodeling with a dilated diameter, contributes to atrial fibrillation pathogenesis and predicts atrial fibrillation development. The correlation of VLDL-χ with atrial remodeling is unknown.

Cure or curd: Modification of lipid profiles and cardio-cerebrovascular events after hepatitis C virus eradication.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication deteriorates lipid profiles. Although HCV eradication may reduce the risk of vascular events as a whole, whether deteriorated lipid profiles increases the risk of cardio-cerebral disease in certain patients is elusive. Serial lipid profiles were measured before, during, at and 3 months after the end of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy, and annually thereafter in chronic hepatitis C patients who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA at posttreatment week 12).