Publications by authors named "I Paraskevaidis"

Article Synopsis
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) enhances left ventricular function in heart failure patients, but its mechanisms remain partly unclear; this study aimed to investigate these mechanisms using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE).
  • The study involved 46 patients who underwent CRT and evaluated their cardiac performance at baseline and post-CRT implementation through 2D-STE and a 6-minute walk test, observing a 48% response rate at 6 months, particularly in those with dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Optimizing CRT by adjusting the activation timing of the ventricular electrodes was found to significantly improve left ventricular function, with improvements in effective stroke volume and rotational mechanics serving as key indicators of successful therapy
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Heart failure is a complex syndrome and our understanding and therapeutic approach relies mostly on its phenotypic presentation. Notably, the heart is characterized as the most energy-consuming organ, being both a producer and consumer, in order to satisfy multiple cardiac functions: ion exchange, electromechanical coordination, excitation-contraction coupling, etc. By obtaining further knowledge of the cardiac energy field, we can probably better characterize the basic pathophysiological events occurring in heart disease patients and understand the metabolic substance changes, the relationship between the alteration of energy production/consumption, and hence energetic deficiency not only in the heart as a whole but in every single cardiac territory, which will hopefully provide us with the opportunity to uncover the beginning of the heart failure process.

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Article Synopsis
  • Despite established benefits of exercise, the link between exercise training and atrial fibrillation (AF) in competitive athletes is still debated.!
  • High-intensity endurance athletes have a 2 to 10 times greater risk of developing AF compared to non-exercisers, influenced by factors like age, gender, and exercise type.!
  • The exact cause of AF in elite athletes is unclear, but potential contributing factors include bi-atrial dilation, pulmonary vein stretching, and cardiac inflammation, while management lacks specific guidelines for this population.!
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Background And Purpose: The normal tissue sparing afforded by FLASH radiotherapy (RT) is being intensely investigated for potential clinical translation. Here, we studied the effects of FLASH proton RT (F-PRT) in the reirradiation setting, with or without hypofractionation. Chronic toxicities in three murine models of normal tissue toxicity including the intestine, skin, and bone were investigated.

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Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a complex clinical syndrome with significant morbidity and mortality and seems to be responsible for approximately 50% of heart failure cases and hospitalizations worldwide. First-line treatments of patients with HFrEF, according to the ESC and AHA guidelines, include β-blockers, angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. This quadruple therapy should be initiated during hospital stay and uptitrated to maximum doses within 6 weeks after discharge according to large multicenter controlled trials.

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