Anti-Obesity Effects of Sulphated Polysaccharides Derived from Marine Macro Algae or Seaweeds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sulphated polysaccharides (SPs) are negatively charged compounds found in the cell wall of seaweeds or marine macro algae. These compounds exhibit a range of pharmacological activities, including anti-obesity effects. The aim of this systematic review as well as meta-analysis was to assess the potentials of seaweed-derived SPs to mitigate obesity through a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal model-based studies.

Age-Specific Outcomes of Bioprosthetic vs. Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement: Balancing Reoperation Risk with Anticoagulation Burden.

Background: The choice of prosthesis for aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains challenging. The risk of anticoagulation complications vs. the risk of aortic valve reintervention should be weighed.

Scores predicting atrial fibrillation after mitral valve surgery: Do we need a more specific score?

Background: Atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery (POAF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Several scores were used to predict POAF, with variable results. Thus, this study assessed the performance of several scoring systems to predict POAF after mitral valve surgery.

The Effect of Gender on Triple Heart Valve Surgery Outcomes; Reinforcing Women's Health.

Female gender is a risk factor in several cardiac surgery risk stratification systems. This study explored the differences in the outcomes following triple heart valve surgery in men vs women. The study included 250 patients (males = 101; females = 149) who underwent triple valve surgery from 2009 to 2020.

Relationship between saxagliptin use and left ventricular diastolic function assessed by cardiac MRI.

Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases the risk of major cardiovascular events. In SAVOR-TIMI53 trial, the excess heart failure (HF) hospitalization among patients with T2DM in the saxagliptin group remains poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) diastolic function after 6 months of saxagliptin treatment using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients with T2DM.

Management of Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation During Surgical Ventricular Restoration for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: We studied the effect of tricuspid valve (TV) surgery combined with surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) on operative outcomes, rehospitalization, recurrent tricuspid regurgitation, and survival of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, surgery was compared to conservative management in patients with mild or moderate tricuspid regurgitation. To the best of our knowledge, the advantage of combining TV surgery with SVR in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy had not been investigated before.

Five-year outcomes of tricuspid valve repair versus replacement; a propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Tricuspid valve repair (TVr) is the recommended approach for managing tricuspid regurgitation; however, there is a concern about the long-term durability of the repair. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of TVr versus tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) in a matched cohort of patients.

Methods: This study included 1161 patients who underwent tricuspid valve (TV) surgery from 2009 to 2020.

Concomitant intra-aortic balloon pump and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock.

We aimed to compare the outcomes of ECMO with and without IABP for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. The study included 103 patients who needed ECMO for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. Patients were grouped according to the use of IABP into ECMO without IABP ( = 43) and ECMO with IABP ( = 60).

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock after valve replacement.

Background: Limited data evaluated the outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with prosthetic valves. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of ECMO support for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock in patients with mechanical versus bioprosthetic valves.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with ECMO support for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock after valve replacement.

Using tissue mitral valves in younger patients: A word of caution.

Background: The debate about the optimal mitral valve prosthesis continues. We aimed to compare the early and late outcomes, including stroke, bleeding, survival, and reoperation after isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR) using tissue versus mechanical valves.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 291 patients who had isolated MVR from 2005 to 2015.

Surgical vs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With a Low Ejection Fraction.

Currently, there is no preference for surgical (SAVR) vs transcatheter (TAVR) aortic valve replacement in patients with low ejection fraction (EF). The present study retrospectively compared the outcomes of SAVR vs TAVR in patients with EF ≤40% (70 SAVR and 117 TAVR patients). Study outcomes were survival and the composite endpoint of stroke, aortic valve reintervention, and heart failure readmission.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock: The impact of cannulation strategy on survival.

Background: The optimal venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) cannulation strategy in patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock is still debatable. Studies evaluating the effect of cannulation strategy on long-term survival are scarce.

Objectives: We investigated the impact of central versus peripheral cannulation strategy for ECMO insertion on hospital outcomes and survival in postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical conditions and medication adherence in people with chronic diseases.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically disrupted primary health care and pharmacy services, posing a challenge in people with chronic diseases who receive routine care. Currently, there exists limited literature on the indirect impact of the pandemic on chronic disease management, particularly related to accessibility to medications and health care resources.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of medical- and medication-related problems reported by people with chronic diseases during the pandemic.

Right Ventricular Mass 12 Years after Osteosarcoma: Multimodality Imaging with Pathologic Correlation.

The authors report a 27-year-old woman with a remote left femoral osteosarcoma and amputation above the left knee who presented with a large right ventricular mass. Initial evaluation with thoracic CT was inconclusive regarding thrombus versus tumor, but metastatic osteosarcoma was suggested by findings at transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac CT, and cardiac MRI. The patient underwent tumor debulking, and osteosarcoma was confirmed with pathologic examination.

Saudi Society for Cardiac Surgeons consensus document on COVID-19, April 1, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an international health crisis that is challenging to all governments. Health practitioners in different fields have a duty to guide people and governments to achieve safe health practices. The Saudi Society for Cardiac Surgeons recognizes that it is difficult to establish evidence-based guidelines for safe cardiac surgery practices in such a crisis because this is an unprecedented health pandemic.

del Nido Cardioplegia in Adult Patients: A Propensity-Matched Study of 102 Consecutive Patients.

Background: Paediatric del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) has been tested in selected populations of low-risk adult patients. This study examined its use in an unselected medium-to-high-risk adult population and compared the results with a propensity-matched population that received intermittent warm blood cardioplegia (IWBC).

Methods: Data from the last 1,000 consecutive adult patients who underwent a variety of surgical procedures under cardioplegic arrest with the use of IWBC or DNC between 2016 and 2018 were propensity score matched on preoperative clinical and demographic variables.

Carboplatin dosing in the era of IDMS-creatinine; the Cockroft-Gault formula no longer provides a sufficiently accurate estimate of glomerular filtration rate for routine use in clinical care.

Background: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measured by Chromium-51-EDTA excretion (Cr-GFR) is considered the gold standard of renal function assessment, but serum creatinine in the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) formula is routinely used to estimate GFR for carboplatin dosing. Serum creatinine measured by isotope-dilution-mass-spectrometry (IDMS) can generate spuriously high GFR estimates when used in the CG formula. We hypothesized that GFR calculated using IDMS-creatinine in the CG formula (CG-GFR) exposes patients to inaccurate carboplatin dosing.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis of the obese postpartum patient: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Obesity increases risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in obstetric patients regardless of delivery mode and for up to six weeks postpartum.

Aim: This study aimed to examine postpartum pharmacological VTE prophylaxis practices for obese women at an Australian tertiary referral hospital.

Materials And Methods: Medical records were retrieved for obese obstetric patients who delivered during May 2016-May 2017.

Surgical management of right coronary artery-coronary sinus fistula causing severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.

Coronary arteriovenous (AV) fistula is a rare congenital anomaly, mostly diagnosed incidentally during routine coronary angiography. We report a symptomatic patient with right coronary artery to coronary sinus (RCA-CS) fistula, complicated by aneurysmal dilatation and thrombosis of the CS, causing severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

Hemodynamic evaluation and midterm outcome of aortic valve replacement with size 19 Perimount prosthetic valve.

Background: We sought to investigate the effect of patient prosthesis mismatch on hemodynamic profile using dobutamine stress echocardiography, and to evaluate midterm survival of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with 19-mm Perimount (Baxter Healthcare, Santa Ana, California) aortic prosthetic valves.

Methods: Between December 1, 1999, and August 17, 2005, 147 patients (mean age, 76.8 +/- 5.