Right ventricular performance in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction: the forgotten ventricle.

Right ventricular (RV) function is a major determinant of prognosis and adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). It is largely unknown if HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) patients have some special characteristics in RV function (RVF) that may distinguish them from HF with reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFrEF or HFpEF) patients. Standard echocardiography was performed to estimate RVF [tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TDSV), plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), TAPSE to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) and RV myocardial performance index (MPI-TEI index)] in a cross-sectional study.

Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Problem Hidden in the Shadows.

Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) has been largely underdiagnosed and undertreated due to the lack of concrete definitions, validated assessment methods and efficient treatments. However, during the last few decades, there has been great progress in the clinical management and research of FSD.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to describe the pathophysiology of FSD, report the prevalence of the disease in the setting of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and disease, and review current and under investigation treatment options.

Transesophageal Overdrive Pacing in a Patient with Atrial Tachycardia and β -Thalassemia Major. A Challenging Simplicity.

Introduction: Transesophageal overdrive pacing is an accepted method for the diagnosis and treatment of supraventricular tachycardias, although is not used frequently in clinical practice.

Case Report: A 47 years old woman is reported with a medical history of β -Thalassemia Major admitted to our hospital with atrial tachycardia of recent onset and successfully converted using a transesophageal overdrive atrial pacing.

Conclusion: Transesophageal overdrive atrial pacing is a low cost, simple and safe procedure that can be performed at the bedside, especially in patients, as those with β -Thalassemia Major, whose health status makes difficult the usage of medicines that could possibly aggravate their general health status.

Erectile Dysfunction as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor: Time to Step Up?

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major health problem that affects a significant proportion of the general population, and its prevalence is even higher in patients with CV risk factors and/or disease. ED and cardiovascular (CV) disease share several common pathophysiological mechanisms, and thus, the potential role of ED as a predictor of CV events has emerged as a significant research aspect.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to present and critically discuss data assessing the relation between ED and CV disease and the potential predictive value of ED for CV events.

Glycemic efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on top of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor treatment compared to sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor alone: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are now considered as key players in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to provide precise effect estimates regarding the safety and efficacy of the addition of a GLP-1RA on top of SGLT-2i treatment.

Research Design And Methods: PubMed and CENTRAL, along with grey literature sources, were searched from their inception to May 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a duration ≥ 12 weeks, evaluating the safety and efficacy of addition of a GLP-1RA on a SGLT-2i compared to SGLT-2i alone in patients with T2DM.

Right Ventricular Function and Sexual Function: Exploring Shadows in Male and Female Patients With Heart Failure.

Introduction: Sexual health plays an important role in heart failure (HF) patients, and the relationship between HF and sexual dysfunction is well established; however, the role of right ventricular function in sexual dysfunction has not been investigated sufficiently.

Aim: To investigate the potential association between right ventricular dysfunction and sexual dysfunction in both male and female patients with HF.

Methods: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of HF were evaluated in a cross-sectional study.

Macrovascular Complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has emerged as a pandemic. It has different complications, both microvascular and macrovascular.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to summarize the different types of macrovascular complications associated with T2DM.

Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Primary Aldosteronism.

Background: Primary aldosteronism is the most common causes of secondary hypertension. Patients suffering from this clinical syndrome have an increased cardiovascular risk and target organ damage. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are the optimal pharmaceutical option for the management of such patients.

Role of PCSK9 Inhibitors in High Risk Patients with Dyslipidemia: Focus on Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder that is characterized by substantially increased Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Patients with FH have a significantly higher risk for Cardiovascular (CV) events, and the timely reduction of LDL-C is of paramount importance to ameliorate the risk for CV disease. Among the available lipid-lowering therapies, the novel Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have emerged as a very promising class of drugs for the management of such patients.

Exertional dyspnea after myocardial infarction: thinking beyond the diagnosis of heart failure.

Introduction: We herein present an unusual case of a pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricular myocardium, which is a rare and fatal complication of myocardial infarction.

Case Report: A 64-year-old man with a history of bipolar disorder and arterial hypertension was hospitalized for delayed presentation ST-elevation myocardial infarction. He was admitted to our hospital 24 hours after symptom onset.

Neuroendocrine tumor in the liver of a patient with isolated polycystic liver disease: A case report and review of the literature.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) frequently metastasize to the liver, but it is rare to find them there as primary tumors. Isolated polycystic liver disease (PCLD) is a rare autosomal dominant disease. There is no known association between polycystic liver disease and neuroendocrine or other tumors.